The quirks of Indian English

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#751
Mar 29th, 2010, 05:41 Account Closed
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#751
I think you're getting just about close to getting the tone right, Justdeep.

Keep working at it
#752
Mar 29th, 2010, 10:04 Maha Guru Member
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#752
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick-H View Post The boss probably didn't know the rule.

Dear Mr <Name> ---> Yours sincerely.

Dear Sir ---> Yours faithfully.


The boss was as asshole. Probably an ignorant asshole too!
Language Timothy
Lord, Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill because they pissed me off.
#753
Mar 29th, 2010, 14:32 Maha Guru Member
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#753
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick-H View Post Probably not.

<warning: old fart mode >

Most formal things have gone by the board in England, and it is not even considered proper to teach grammar any longer.

<end of old fart mode. Hopefully >
Not to mention spelling!
#754
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#754
Quote:
Originally Posted by justdeep View Post Dear & Respected Sir,
Mr. Nick-H,
These above quotes, O wise master of all things Indian, is exactly why I say you completely miss the crux of the matter, despite your immense prodigious knowledge of India. In a country where you have to bribe and run around in several circles to get things which you are legally and constitutionally entitled to, arse licking is the least of one’s concerns. A govt. official, bureaucrat or a person of higher ranking , may not even offer your letter the cursory glance, without such salutations. Unfortunately such language is usually carried forward to most communication.
Thanking you sincerely for all your glorious years of selfless contribution to IMers .
Shallam Saab!
Your humble and obedient
Indian Servant
Justdeep


Beautifully put, oh most honoured sir! I guess you have the situation in a nutshell. Of course you are absolutely correct!

I'd still like to see such flummery (I'm sure that's the wrong word, but it sounds right!) swept away, but you concisely state why, in the foreseeable future, it won't be.
#755
Mar 29th, 2010, 15:21 Senior Member
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#755
Quote:
Originally Posted by justdeep View Post .... it smacks of arse licking!



Dear & Respected Sir,
Mr. Nick-H,
These above quotes, O wise master of all things Indian, is exactly why I say you completely miss .......
.........
Brilliant!
This is what true blue arse licking is!
...and, regrettably, it is a survival tool in this country!
Indeed, for the foreseeable future there is going to be no respite from this!

Kind Sir,

Forever your humble servant,
Anup.

#756
Mar 29th, 2010, 21:27 Senior Member
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#756
.....not many know that toilets were introduced on Indian trains only after one Okhil Chandra Sen wrote a letter in 1909 to the Sahibganj divisional office in West Bengal complaining about how he missed the train when he got down to attend the call of nature.

(Some of you may have seen this classic letter in 'Indian English')!



DearSir,

I am arrive by passenger train Ahmedpur station and my belly is too much swelling with jackfruit. I am therefor went to privy. Just I doing the nuisance that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and I am running with lotah (mug of water) in one hand and dhoti (long strip of cloth wound around the waist) in the next when I fall over and expose all my shocking to man and female women on plateform. I am got leaved at Ahmedpur station.

This too much bad, if passengers go to make dung that dam guard not wait train five minutes for him. I am therefor pray your honour to make big fine on that guard for public sake. Otherwise I am making big report to papers.

Yours faithfull servant

Okhil Ch Sen



The full text of this letter is on display at the Rail Museum in New Delhi!
#757
Mar 29th, 2010, 21:39 Maha Guru Member
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#757
I think schocking(s) is a good substitute for privates. Just think of the sentence: Pardon me, your schockings are showing!
Last edited by Golghar; Mar 29th, 2010 at 23:04..
#758
Mar 29th, 2010, 21:45 Senior Member
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#758
Quote:
Originally Posted by Golghar View Post .... Just think of the sentence: Pardon me, your schockings are showing!
Pardon me, they may be shockings to you but these are my family jewels!
#759
Mar 29th, 2010, 22:02 Senior Member
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#759
Sorry to interrupt the fun but another gem from the border road guys: "Remember, SPEED is a 5 letter word, but so is DETH"(sic)
#760
Mar 29th, 2010, 22:06 Senior Member
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#760
Quote:
Originally Posted by BitchesBrew View Post .... "Remember, SPEED is a 5 letter word, but so is DETH"(sic)
Hehe, the guy who wrote this must have been a fan of Megadeth!

...or, maybe the 'p' in speed is silent and the 5 was a typo.
#761
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#761
How shocking!
#762
Mar 29th, 2010, 22:38 Senior Member
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#762
How private!
#763
Mar 29th, 2010, 23:03 Maha Guru Member
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#763
Quote:
Originally Posted by BitchesBrew View Post Sorry to interrupt the fun but another gem from the border road guys: "Remember, SPEED is a 5 letter word, but so is DETH"(sic)
BTW can any Ozzies on the forum confirm (or deny) that the Whitlam government introduced some spelling changes like helth in place of health; or is this a slander cooked up by the CIA and its Australian henchmen?
#764
Mar 30th, 2010, 13:27 She-who-must-be-obeyed!
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#764
I never heard of this, and I was living in Oz at time of Whitlam government. Just a rumour I reckon Golghar.

Also it wasn't that long ago we were teaching in schools the business letter, with 'Dear Sir' and 'Yours faithfully' !
Every cloud has a silver lining!
#765
Mar 30th, 2010, 13:48 Maha Guru Member
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#765
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aishah View Post I never heard of this, and I was living in Oz at time of Whitlam government. Just a rumour I reckon Golghar.
Have a look at this: www.spellingsociety.org/journals/j3/world.php

The last paragraph under the heading Australia is the relevant one.
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