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Hinglish

A light-hearted look at some differences between
Indian English and US English

One Meaning - Two Words

Definition India USA
To advance an event, as on a calendar; to schedule it earlier than it was originally. prepone move "up"
The improvements that have been made to bring something up-to-date. updations updates
4th January, 2006 04/01/06 01/04/06
the dot at the end of a sentence full stop period
Away from one's home city out of station out of town
mathematics maths math
the season after summer autumn fall
day when offices are closed bank holiday legal holiday
small pointed thing used to pin papers onto walls paper pin thumb tack
mark made when something is correct or selected tick check
the name of the final letter of the alphabet zed zee
angry pissed off pissed
food you eat before a meal starter appetizer
amazing, good dangerous cool
email address Email ID email address
The "at" symbol - @ at the rate of at
combine with cum with
respond, as in via email revert reply
What is necessary to accomplish a task or goal (ambiguous) Ex. "Do the needful" the needful what's necessary
     

Definition India Word USA Word
third piece of a male's suit that goes between the jacket and the shirt waist coat vest
what women wear over their legs tights (panty) hose
what men wear over their legs trousers pants
a type of soft shoe used in sports or for casual wear trainers,
plimsolls		 sneakers
strap to hold up a man's trousers / pants braces suspenders
item to hold up stockings suspenders garters
item of clothing worn in house at night dressing gown bathrobe
a thin cloth from Arabia muslin cheesecloth
large bag carried by females hand bag purse
container carried by a woman for money purse pocket book
container carried a man for money purse wallet
a casual type of footwear chappals sandals, thongs
what you put in a baby's mouth dummy pacifier
what you put around a baby's bottom nappy diaper
accepting invitaion I don't mind I'd love to
surely, without question obvioiusly definitely
transportation from one place to another conveyance transport
completed, as in a form filled up filled out
crowded to the point of being full chock-a-block jam packed

Definition India Word USA Word
the area next to a street where pedestrians walk footpath, platform sidewalk
place to cross a street on foot pedestrian crossing crosswalk
place from where goods are bought shop store
place from where medicines are bought medicals store drug store
payment in a restaurant bill check
place where alcoholic drinks are bought brandy store liquor store
fisherman or one who works in the fisheries industry fish monger fisherman
shop / store selling metal goods and tools ironmonger hardware store
the business part of a city town centre downtown
what there was before email; (snail mail) post mail
code used when sorting mail / post postcode or pin zip code
telephone call where the person called pays reverse charge collect call
free telephone call paid by company free phone toll free
company on the WWW .co.in .com

Definition India Word USA Word
four wheeled private vehicle car automobile
front of a car / automobile bonnet hood
rear compartment of a car / automobile boot trunk
metal plate with number on a vehicle number plate license plate
long piece of metal used for radio reception aerial antenna
metal tool for tightening nuts and bolts spanner wrench
glass in front of a car windscreen windshield
metal over the wheel to keep mud off mud guard
(wing)		 fender
multi-lane road for cars motorway freeway
road passing over another flyover overpass
heavy goods vehicle lorry truck
fuel for vehicles petrol gasoline
place to buy fuel petrol station gas station
area to stop off a major road lay-by pull-off
metal container in street for unwanted items skip dumpster
ticket for one journey single one way
ticket for two journeys: out and back return round trip
type of transport run on metal rails railway railroad
a beam supporting railway / railroad tracks sleeper tie
HERE, as opposed to THERE (not here) Ex. "John is here." "Eggs are there." there here

FOODS    
Definition India Word USA Word
what you eat with milk, tea or coffee biscuit cookie
what you put on bread jam jelly
a gelatinous dessert jelly jell-O
crunchy thin-sliced fried potatoes crisps chips
fried stick-shaped potatoes chips french fries
a large vessel for juice or water jug pitcher
sweet things given to children to rot their teeth sweets candy
rolled up cake with jam / jelly in the middle Swiss roll jelly roll
a sugary liquid like honey treacle molasses
flavoured ice on a stick lolly popsicle
soft long green vegetable marrow squash
meat passed through a device that breaks it up into little pieces mince ground meat
cereal made from oats, sugar and milk porridge oatmeal
Swiss cereal made from oats muesli granola
fluffy sweet item for children candy floss cotton candy
Chicken leg lollypop drumstick
A long slender vegetable. Botanical Name: Moringa oleifera Drumstick / Sanjana N/A
Previously known as the "alligator pear," this fruit is known for its lush, buttery texture and mild nutlike flavor. The skin can be thick or thin, green to purple-black and smooth or ridged. butter fruit Avocado
A large, edible purple-colored fruit originating from India. Brinjal (aubergine) Eggplant
The itemized statement following a meal at a restaurant bill check
A retail location where the food is sold for consumption on premises hotel restaurant

Definition India Word USA Word
arthropod with six legs insect bug
red insect / bug with black spots ladybird ladybug
dwelling in a large building flat apartment
device for obtaining water tap faucet
garbage, trash, refuse, pollution dust variable
container for household waste dustbin trash can
portable battery-operated light source torch flashlight
the floor of a building that is level with the ground ground floor first floor
the floor of a building that is one level above the ground first floor second floor
device for carrying people between floors of a building lift elevator
place where films / movies can be seen cinema movie theater
a type of house connected to one other semi-detached house duplex

Definition India Word USA Word
a self contained section of television programme show
game played on chess board draughts checkers
contest between two teams match game
game played by two teams with bats and balls cricket baseball
player who throws a ball at another player holding a bat bowler pitcher
bar on a pivot for children see-saw teeter-totter
simple game of O and X noughts and crosses tic tac toe
a collection of playing cards pack deck
a portable telephone mobile cellular, cell
a group of people waiting for their turn queue line
the dates of the Second World War 1939 - 1945 1941 - 1945

One Word - Two Meanings

Word India Usage USA Usage
Asian person of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi origin person of Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Philippino origin
ass a donkey human posterior
bathroom a room containing a bath or shower a room containing a toilet
bill amount to pay for a service a piece of paper currency
bomb success disaster
buns sticky cake human posterior
bum human posterior unemployed, down-and-out
Caucasian Person from the Caucus republics: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan white person
chips What Americans call "French fries" What the British call "crisps"
fag tail end of an event "the fag end of the programme" male homosexual
fanny external female sex organs human posterior
fixed set or decided as in "the venue has been fixed" repaired or prepared ("please fix me some curry")
football soccer gridiron
hamper picnic basket full of food basket for dirty clothes
homely pleasant or home-style (food) or traditional (lady) ugly
Indian person from the Indian sub-continent indigenous American
jelly gelatinous dessert fruit preserve
mad not sane angry
mean stingy aggressive
pants worn under trousers worn over underwear
pissed drunk angry
presently soon now
public school fee-paying school state school
queen the head of state male homosexual
rubber implement to erase pencil marks male contraceptive
semi semi-detatched house tractor-trailer
smart well dressed clever
spunk slang for male sexual emission full of "get up and go"
suspenders hold up stockings hold up trousers / pants
tea drink served hot with milk drink served cold with lemon
     
tramp unemployed, down-and-out derogatory term for a female of "easy virtue"
vest a garment worn under a shirt the third part of a three piece suit worn between the shirt and jacket
wash up wash dishes after a meal wash face and hands
     

External English Language Links

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English As A Second Language
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