mossy
n.— «Mumbai has developed its own language (not to be confused with “Hinglish”). For example, Punjabis are “punjus,” Gujaratis are “gujjus,” Marwaris are “maadus,” Parsis are “bawas,” Sindhis are “vadi sai,” Catholics are “maakapaos,” Muslims are “mossies,” Bengalis are “bongs,” UP-ites are “bhayyas,” South Indians are also all clubbed together as “southies,” Sikhs are “serds” (an English friend of mine calls them “turbanites”) and Maharashtrians are “ghaatis” (that’s me).» —“Mumbai Memoirs: The Mallu Paan-Beedi Shop” by Karma Meet Your Karma (Mumbai, India) Oct. 9, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear...
A flashlight emits a steady beam of light. So what’s the flash part of that word about? Also, if you’re a nervous Nellie, you’re skittish and indecisive—both characteristics of an American politician who earned that nickname in the...