goonda tax n. money extorted as ‘protection’ or to permit passage on public thoroughfares, or paid as a simple bribe. Etymological Note: The Hindi and Urdu term goonda can be translated as rascal or ruffian and even as goon, but there is no evidence...
item girl n.— «Upcoming performers who start their careers in the Hindi film industry by doing dance numbers in films or music videos—”item girls” in Bollywood parlance—are now becoming part of Kathmandu’s entertainment scenario as well...
frauder n.— «But could everyone feel less like they’re being robbed? All tourists suffer the unpleasant impression that they are being squeezed, the foreign ones feel it in multiplied measure. At the Taj gate, they pay Rs 750 compared to Rs 20 for...
chamcha
n.— «Chamcha Sycophant (lit. ‘spoon’).» —“Glossary” by William Dalrymple City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi Dec. 1, 1994. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
chamcha n. a sycophant, toady, or hanger-on. Etymological Note: From the Hindi and Urdu word for ‘spoon.’ (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
chamcha n.— «No doubt, the British also had their sycophants—toadys, bachhas, jholichuks and hukkabardars—but chamchas of the modern vintage they had none. Chamchas are a breed apart. A chamcha, verily is more than a favourite. He is a catalytic...
