An American woman’s witty take on “Indian English” has gone viral, leaving the internet in splits. Kristen Fischer, currently based in Delhi, posted a video on Instagram, breaking down some of the unique English phrases she encountered after moving to India.
In the video, Fischer explained that “English is one of the national languages of India and very widely spoken,” but claims she didn’t know there were “differences” between Indian English and American English. The woman stressed on a few expressions unfamiliar to Americans but commonly used in India.
One such phrase is “shifting”, used in India to describe relocating homes, whereas Americans would say “moving.” With a chuckle, she explained, “In India, people say they’ve ‘shifted their home.’”
Another term that tickled her was “time pass,” a common Indian phrase for casual activities that Americans might call “killing time.” She also noted the use of “plus” when referring to children’s ages, as in, “My daughter is three plus,” a concept unfamiliar in her home country.
Fischer continued to explore other uniquely Indian expressions, such as “which time” instead of “what time,” and “too much” in sentences like “it’s too much hard.” She also highlighted the Indian-English term “dry fruits,” which Americans typically call “nuts”, and found “loose motion” – the Indian euphemism for diarrhoea – particularly amusing.
In her Instagram caption, Fischer wrote, “Did you know that Indian English has its own words and phrases? I had never heard any of these before coming here. What are some others that you know of?”
Watch the video here:
The video was posted two days ago and has since clocked over 5 lakh views.
Fischer’s lighthearted commentary resonated with viewers, who flooded the comments section with their own favourite Indian-English expressions.
A user wrote, “Flat-apartment , lift-elevator and dickey – car boot and rubber vs eraser,” while sharing that they had “hilarious encounters with American friends on this.”
Another commented, “Loose motion is funny. In the Philippines, we call it LBM.”
“Newton’s 4th law of motion loose motion cannot be done in slow motion,” someone joked.
Adding to the list, a user shared, “Some of my favorites are ‘once only’ and calling a napkin a ’tissue’. Also, when watching or playing cricket, ‘beautiful booyyyy.’”
Another user shared a long list, saying, “Brinjal – Eggplant/Aubergine… Capsicum – Bell Peppers… Chocolate – Any Candy… Prawns – Shrimps… Out of station – Out of town… Cum – With… Starters – Appetizers… Chappals – Sandals… Medical – Drug Store… Number Plate – Licence Plate… Petrol Pump – Gas Station… Single/Return – One Way/Round Trip… In India, floor naming starts from ground floor while in many countries, the ground level is the actual first floor. Also, many people call restaurants ‘hotels.’”
Meanwhile, one user corrected her saying English was not India’s “national language,” but one of the “official languages.”
Kristen Fischer is an entrepreneur who has made a name for herself in Delhi far from her roots in Colorado Springs, USA, according to her LinkedIn profile. She is the co-founder of SkyFish LLC, a design agency.
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