What's the good word?

J Dey decodes the dark yet humorous language of the underworld

J Dey decodes the dark yet humorous language of the underworld

The underworld speaks a language of its own. What began with a few code words to stay a step ahead of the police and adversaries has today expanded into an interesting and expansive vocabulary.

Vijay Raghavan, associate professor, Centre of Criminol-ogy and Justice, TISS, said, "Every culture coins jargons.
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It helps them communicate better among themselves. Professionals from any industry have their own code words. Gangsters are no different."

The underworld's dictionary is probably the fastest changing one in the world. The code words change every time they reach the police or a new word catches the fancy of a gangster.

Illustration/Satish Acharya

The gun and bullet, for instance, have undergone several transitions from ghoda and dana and lift wali building (due to the structure of a pistol's chamber) to sui-dhaaga and now ma-beta.

While most code words have obvious origins like 'bartan', which refers to weapons made from utensils in jails, some are borrowed from other languages.

For instance, the codes 'billa' and 'balva lep le'. Both come from tribal languages.

The word 'billa' in the language of Bedias or Bhatus refers to a mean person.
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It's used to warn dancers off patrons who will not spend. Similarly.

'Balva lep le', which means 'to collect money', is used to point out a patron who is on a spending spree or can be seduced into spending.

Taken by others

But the exchange of words is a two-way street. "The words coined by the underworld are also used by the common man," explained Raghavan.

Take the case of 'Adija' or car. Gangsters, mostly affiliated to the D Company, use the word.

It was then picked up by shopkeepers in Crawford market area, the grey market hub of the city. Informers use it to tip off shopkeepers whenever a buyer who seems affluent enters the market.

The use of the word item to describe a pretty girl also began in the underworld. It is now a commonly used word on Mumbai's streets and as an extension as item girl or item numbers in Bollywood.

It is interesting to note that the words change from gang to gang depending on religion. So, while the D-Company uses 'Allah Allah' to refer to a murder, the Chhota Rajan gang uses 'Vitthala Vitthala'.

The diction changes from area to area. While a Muslim gangster, from the Nagpada-Bhendi Bazaar area, generally stretches the 'a' in the word bhai, a Rajan or Gawli gangster says it in a clipped manner.

Police speak

However, even with their unique lexicon, the police are never far way from the underworld. Cops stay abreast through informers and gangsters on their pay roll.
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Jt CP (Crime) Rakesh Maria said, "The police have been able to crack the underworld lingo with the help of a strong network of informers."

5 ways to say Khallas

Tapka diya
Thok diya
Shot de diya
File de diya
Total kaam kar diya

Latest Codes

Spiderman: A gangster surfing the Web

Doosra Haath/Doosra Darwaza: Second mobile phone

Dabba: Computer

Bhai phone kar liya: Stealing a phone

Chivad chivad: Cop or mean guy (comes from Bedias)

Jaadugar: Intelligence Bureau

Bhaade ke gaadi: A prisoner who is handed over to an associate for sexual pleasure. Majority of the senior gangsters are known to have young undertrials under their tutelage. Most of them are sodomised in return for protection.

SRK: A shooter, as he is the main star of a killing squad

Azaan suna dena: Firing a round to scare a target or coercing him to speak to the don

Ball pen and refill: Ball pen is often referred to a country-made revolver by Dawood Ibrahim's men. When a gangster asks, "Ball pen me refill hain" it means checking whether the handgun is loaded.

Baarati: A police raid

Baarat Nikaalna: Getting someone arrested

What They Call The Dons

Dawood Ibrahim
Muchhad (When he sported a thick moustache)
Haji (As he visited Haj every year and kept a long beard)
Bull Dog (Because of his wrinkles)

Chhota Rajan
Chhota-Chhota Rajan-Nana-Robin-Vijay-Seth

Hemant Pujari: HP (Hindutsan Petroleum)
Ravi Pujari: BP (Bharat Petroleum)
Arun Gawli: Daddy
Ashwin Naik: Anna

Chhota Shakeel
Pao takla (When he started balding)
Haji (He inherited the nickname from Dawood)
CS (The abbreviation of Chhota Shakeel)