The Case of the Missing Servant

MASALA CHAI   spiced tea.

MATTHIS    fried savory biscuits, often served with tea.

MEMSAHIB  formerly a term of respect for white European women in colonial India, but now used for well-to-do Indian women.

MESWAK     a natural toothbrush made from the twigs of the Salvadora persica tree, also known as the Arak or Peelu tree.

MOONG DAAL   a split bean that has a green husk and is yellow inside.

NAAMAALUM    like a John or Jane Doe, a corpse or hospital patient whose identity is unknown.

NAMASHKAR/NAMASTE   traditional Hindu greeting said with hands pressed together.

NIMBOO PAANI  lemonade, usually with salt.

'OOLU KE PATHAY'  Punjabi curse literally translates as 'son of an owl.'

PAAN         betel leaf, stuffed with betel nut, lime and other condiments and used as a stimulant.

PAAGAL     Hindi for crazy.

PAKORA     a deep-fried snack. They can be made from pretty much anything dipped in a gram flour batter.

PALLU        the loose end of a sari.

PANEER      unaged cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice.

PARANTHA  a flatbread made with whole-wheat flour, pan fried in oil or clarified butter and ususally stuffed with vegetables like potatoes and cauliflower.

PEG            a unit of measurement for alcoholic spirits. Peg measures can hold anywhere from 1 to 2 fluid ounces (30-60 ml).

PRESS-WALLAH   a journalist.

PUJA          prayer.

'PUKKA'      Hindi word meaning 'solid, well made.' Also means 'definitely.'

PURANAS    a group of Hindu, Jain or Buddhist religious texts.

RAJMA        red kidney beans cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and spices. A much-loved Punjabi dish eaten with chawal, rice.

RAKHI-BROTHER  the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bonds between brothers and sisters. The sister ties a rakhi, or holy thread, on her brother's wrist in exchange for a vow of protection. Any male can be adopted as a brother by tying the thread.

RAS MALAI   dumplings from cottage or ricotta cheese soaked in sweetened, thickened milk delicately flavored with cardamom.

RAVAN        the demon king of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, who kidnaps the wife of Lord Ram.

ROTI OR CHAPATTI   Indian wheat flatbread cooked on a hot griddle.

'SAALA MAADERCHOD'   'bastard mother fucker.'

'SAALE'       'bastard.'

'SAB CHANGA'   Punjabi for 'all well.'

SADHU         a holy man who has renounced the material world to devote himself to spiritual practice.

SAHIB          an Urdu honorific now used across South Asia as a term of respect, equivalent to the English 'sir.'

SALWAR      baggy trousers worn by men and women common to Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India.

SAMOSA      a triangular fried savory snack stuffed with potatoes, peas and spices.

SANYASI      a Hindu who has renounced the material world.

SARDAAR    a male follower of the Sikh religion.

SARDAAR-JI JOKES  Sikhs are traditionally the butt of jokes in northern India.

SARI          India's national dress for women. Usually six yards of material wrapped and pleated over a blouse and petticoat.

SHRI          a Sanskrit title of veneration. An honorific, whose equivalent is 'Mr.' in English.

SINDOOR   a red powder used by married Hindu women and some Sikh women. During the marriage ceremony, the groom applies some to the parting of the bride's hair to show that she is now a married woman. Subsequently, sindoor is applied by the wife as part of her dressing routine.

SONF        plain or sugared fennel seeds eaten to aid digestion and to freshen the mouth after a meal.

SUBZI        a vegetable.

SUBZI-WALLAH  vegetable seller.

TACHEE     Indian English for suitcase, derived from 'attache case.'

TAVA         a large, flat or slightly concave disc-shaped griddle made from cast iron, steel or aluminum used to prepare several kinds of flat breads.

TEEN PATTA   an Indian card game, also known as Flush. Usually played at Diwali, the Indian new year, it is a betting game in which the player with the best hand (three aces or three consecutive cards of the same suit) wins the pot.

TIFFIN      steel lunchbox usually with three round, stackable compartments.

TIMEPASS  Hindi/English word meaning any pointless activity to pass the time.

TULLI       Punjabi slang for 'drunk.'

TONGA     a horse-pulled cart.

'YAAR'     equivalent to 'pal,' 'mate' or 'dude.'

ZARI         a type of thread made of fine gold or silver wire woven into silk to create intricate patterns; Mughal in origin.

NOTE

The rupee exchange rate at the time of writing is

PS1 = 84 Rps

$1 = 48 Rps

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Примечания

1

See glossary.

2

White money is legitimate, not derived from the 'black' economy.

3