So Suave with Shampoo
shampoo, noun. < from Hindi chāmpo, from chāmpnā to knead <1755-65; earlier champo to massage < an inflected form of Hindi cāmpnā literally, to pr
Kalpana M.
A Wholesome Congee
During my long stays in Chennai, the taste of kanji powers my day. When I return home from my morning walk at Jeeva Park, six slices of salted guava or a season
Delhi Coolie
“To C. R. Park,” I said to the old auto driver. I was waiting outside Hauz Khas village in Delhi looking for a way to get back to my apartment. But Ola cab
Watching Jugaad at Work
jugaad, noun. < Jugaad (alternatively Juggaar) is a colloquial Hindi and Punjabi word that can mean an innovative fix or a simple work-around, used for solut
A Palanquin of Wedding Bills
One balmy morning three years ago in Bangalore, the bride, a friend’s daughter, arrived in a palanquin. It was hoisted in front and back by a coterie of her u
We’ll Always Have Paris
From our apartment in Paris, if we walked up half a minute on Avenue Charles Floquet and then turned right into Avenue Octave Gréard, we'd end up on Avenue Gus
The Sound of My Name
name, noun. before 900 < a word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of thought is designated, called
Hey, I Need Cash!
cash, noun. 1590-1600; < Portuguese caixa < Tamil kaacu copper coin < Sanskrit karsa a weight (of precious metal) While he was being molded in the mode
Off With the Loot
When I returned home from India late in June, I noticed that one of our patio doors had been tampered with. Burglars had managed to break into our home. Evident
The Churidar Gets a Nod
Churidar, noun. long tight-fitting trousers, worn by Indian men and women. Also called churidar pyjamas. From Hindi. In the closing week of June, the Internet w
The House Of Teak
In 1956, when my parents were building a new life for themselves in the city of Bangalore (now called Bengaluru), my mother’s brother arrived at their doorste
The Call Of The Koel
“The Asian koel, you mean?” I asked Lingesh. We were debating the origin of its name. Lingesh Kalingarayar, a naturalist who accompanied tourists on nature
