Tuesday, July 28, 2009

420

In Hindi and Urdu, numbers are often used to express other ideas. One of the most commonly used ones is 420 - or Char Sau Bis (literally Four Hundred Twenty). To call someone a 420 is to invoke the English Penal Code for Lying and Fraud. It's basically a really intense way of calling someone a Liar. It's to be used sparingly. I first heard it while watching a cricket match on television when someone yelled it at the Umpire. It can also be used as an adjective. "Char Sau Bissy"

Another interesting one is 9 2 11; which is literally Nau Do Gyara. It means "really far away" So you can tell some to go 9 2 11 and basically has the meaning of "Get Lost"

Fun with numbers.

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