Expletives: In Hindi or in English?

In linguistics, expletives were never meant to show feelings or incite emotions. In fact, they were meaningless words meant to fill the syntactic vacancy of the sentence, contributing absolutely nothing to its meaning. It still holds true.

However, outside linguistics, the word is much more commonly used to refer to bad language or abuses. They are certainly not gentle on the ears, but if I were to believe what one of my acquaintances said, "expletives help break the prosaicness of the spoken language, especially the ones in hindi."

He went on to add, "Unlike the intellectually appealing english ones, the ones in hindi bring out raw emotions, are more creative, and hurt where it hurts the most. A tinge of a local dialect adds more spice." Like an expert, he gave certain examples. He recited some in english and then their hindi versions to highlight the difference between the two, and establish his fact. By the end of the conversation I was convinced that 'expletives' were certainly his forte.

On my way to work after the brief tete-a-tete, I was continuously mulling over what he had said, and was reciting some- from my limited vocabulary- in my subconscious mind. Well, the effort was worth it. I realised the difference in emotions between the english and hindi ones. But, the dialect thing was still eluding me. Not for very long though.

I happened to travel in a blueline bus on its way to central Delhi, and it was at a red light stoppage when I experienced it. As the light turned green, the driver, in a hurry, tried to move ahead. But was forced to apply the brakes as the car in front was too slow. And just to make matters worse, the light turned red again.

The conductor of the bus, a tall, well-built, young lad from outside Delhi, snapped at this moment. He got down and started reciting some really hi-fi expletives from his unusually long list. All this while when the bystanders on the road were condemning his act, I was focusing only on his dialect, and how it was making the nasty adjectives sound even more nastier.

Well, the morally offensive words did not go down well as far as the car owner and the other passengers were concerned. But, for someone who was looking for that distinguishing factor, they did provide some material to write on.

Why the 800 should not go

A story in the morning newspaper speculating exist of Maruti 800 came as a complete shock to me. A true loyalist of the brand, I have been driving the car for a good eight years now, and have no intentions to stop. In fact, putting a full stop on its production would mean an emotional setback for all those who drive this car.

So, not considering the facts mentioned in that particular story- Euro IV pollutions norms that would be applicable beginning next year and the 800 would not be able to meet those with the existing engine- I have jotted down some rather unusual, but effective reasons (from an owner’s perspective), as to why the 800 should not go.

• A darling of the road-side mechanics.
• Beggars don’t accost the 800 at traffic signals. They prefer sedans.
• Wobbles at high speeds: No speed chalans!
• Hassle-free parking.
• Amidst the chaos on Delhi roads, a small dent or scratch doesn't hurt much.
• Servicing and Repairing: Easy on the pocket
• Crowded lanes: A cake-walk
• Small size: The car-washer charges less compared to bigger cars.
  

Well, a few may agree to the above mentioned points, and others may not. But the fact still remains that the 800 is India’s most loved car. In fact Indians have learned driving on this very car (remember the driving schools). So, taking it off road would leave millions heart broken.

Sexagenarian & going strong!

She is 60, and I am 23. But my intense love for her refuses to fade away. I can understand that the age difference is a mind boggling thirty-seven years, but then I find solace in the old saying, ‘love is blind’ (the degree of blindness may vary from person to person, but my peers taunt me that mine is a gone case). Another honest confession- I have been using her services for quite some time now, and am proud to say that I am a satisfied customer.

To my friends there is nothing in her that can possibly attract somebody. In fact few of them hate her to the core, and others are known to fly off the handle at the mere mention of her name, forget about enjoying her company, like I do. As a result I have been called names- some really interesting and nasty adjectives in the English language.

What to say about her beauty? I am always at loss of words. Even at this age she has that amiable charm (second only to Hema Malini). And trust me when I say this, when she walks, the sheer elegance not only puts the Indian supermodels, but also the firangs like BMWs, Porsches, Toyotas and Mercs, to shame. Delhiites refer to her as an ordinary DTC bus, but to me she is no run-of-the-mill transport vehicle, rather she is the undisputed queen of Delhi, and most definitely the queen of my heart.

She has it all. Majesty, pride, status and a huge fan following of approximately 11 million people. With the kingdom spread over 1,483 sq km, as a true leader she can be seen on a daily basis in even the far flung areas, helping the occupants get rid of their travel malady- a tip for our leaders who more often than not are unavailable at most times.

The journey has been quite long and tiring, but the ‘queen’ has managed well. After all she is nearing 60, the official age of retiring. And at a time when one would like to stay home and enjoy the rest of the life with a hefty pension, she is altruistically rendering her services. Just to ensure that she stays fit, she recently turned pure vegetarian (changed her staple diet from diesel to CNG) and went for a complete makeover that meets the contemporary style.

Though the Delhi Metro is giving her tough competition, my vote still goes to the beautiful DTC bus.

Three cheers!!!