Saturday, March 31, 2012

Pranamayamaha

Meaning: A vehicle that runs on oxygen.
Pronunciation: Pra-na-ya-maa-ha.
Usage: If we can run the human body with breath, I can't figure out why we haven't yet built a pranayamaha.
Root: Prana (life force) + Yamaha (maker of automobiles).

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Shockahari

Meaning: A pure veggie at home but one who pigs on non veg outside.
Pronunciation: Shock-ka-haari.
Usage: Years of fish deprivation is the reason why many chaste brahmins are turning into shockaharis.
Root: Shock (an unexpectedly jarring behaviour) + Shakahari (Hindi for vegetarian).

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Chumma cum laude

Meaning: Claiming falsely that one bagged a diploma or degree with honours.
Pronunciation: Chooma-cum-lauday.
Usage: He was talking so knowledgeably that I never quite figured out that he graduated from Harvard chummma cum laude.
Root: Chumma (Tamil for sham) + Summa cum laude (latin for 'with highest honour')

Arracknids

Meaning: Those who get by life with country made liquor.
Pronunciation: Ar-rack-nee-da.
Usage: The villages of India are infested with the arracknids.
Root: Arrack (a strong alcoholic drink) + -nida (species).

Monday, March 26, 2012

Scarnation

Meaning: The pale pink hue of a scar.
Pronunciation: Scar-nay-shun.
Usage: After the accident, my friend's feet looked like a canvas sprinkled with splotches of scarnation.
Root: Scar (wound) + Carnation (rosy pink)

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Makelavya

Meaning: Self learnt, self made.
Pronunciation: Make-luv-ya.
Usage: No one goes to film school these days. Every new director is a makelavya.
Root: Make (to create) + Eklavya (the hindu mythological character who's supposed to have learnt archery all by himself).

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Gablet

Meaning: A talking tablet.
Pronunciation: Gab-let.
Usage: A gablet is a tablet with a mind and voice of its own.
Root: Gab (chatter) + Tablet (a smart computing device).

Friday, March 09, 2012

Kameaney

Meaning: The meanest one.
Pronunciation: Ka-mean-nay.
Usage: The late night stand up comedians are the real kameaneys of television.
Root: Kaminey (Hindi for 'scoundrel') + Mean (Wicked).

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Neckrosis

Meaning: Death by strangulation.
Pronunciation: Neck-ros-sis.
Usage: The easy access to firearms has made neckrosis rather unfashionable.
Root: Necrosis (Greek for death of living cells) + Neck.

Sunday, March 04, 2012

Fettucheeni

Meaning: The pasta version of the the tamil dessert 'semiya payasam'.
Pronunciation: Feth-thoo-chee-nee.
Usage: On my birthday, I plan to glug many kinnams of fettucheeni.
Root: Fettuccini (a ribbon like pasta) + Cheeni (Hindi for sugar).

Saturday, March 03, 2012

Spantone

Meaning: The spectrum of colours.
Pronunciation: Span-tone.
Usage: When I first ventured into art direction, silly me deployed the entire spantone in one ad.
Root: Span (the extent between extremities) + Pantone (the set of colours used for printing).

Thursday, March 01, 2012

Rhinoderm

Meaning: One with a thick hide.
Pronunciation: Ry-no-hide.
Usage: When the whole world wants you to retire, you must be a rhinoderm to carry on.
Root: Rhino (from Rhinoceros - the animal renowned for a thick hide) + Derm (derived from derma - greek for skin).