h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Great entry, but I feel compelled to inform readers that the phrase given to repel unwanted hawkers translates literally as "Hey, you want me to call the sweet-seller or what?" I'm not aware that sweet-sellers have any particularly threatening qualities, so I'd recommend a simple "Nehi, kuch nehi chaata" (or "chaati" if you're a girl)- "No, I don't want anything," - or a louder "Arre ja!" -"get lost!" - if the vendor persists.
And shop at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Apollo Bunder (near the Gateway of India) for goods that don't cost the earth yet won't fall apart. hte Hotel Majestic on Colaba Causeway does great thalis, too.

rotfl

Sorry for that, but couldn't help it.

You've got your Bambaiya Hindi mixed up - you confused "halvadar" or something with "havaldar"!

Halva - a sweet ... thing (hard to explain)
Havaldar - policeman (more specifically, a low-rank policeman)

So the phrase means "Hey, Should I call the policeman?"

You're right, "Arre Ja" is probably the best thing to say.

(It suddenly occurs to me - did Omicron type it wrong, and after your entry, correct it?)

You be right - there's a bit of a "l/v" mix-up going on here all right!
With correction, I think the point still stands - if you threaten a hardened hawker with a policeman, they'd probably laugh in your face every bit as hard as if you'd threatened to fetch the sweet-seller. Unless the sweet-seller turns out to be a double-hard Sikh or something....

Good point!

Hey, just to get the facts right, I didn't type it wrong! You can't live in Bombay for 15 years and mix up your Bambaiya Hindi! Actually, I happened to type just the Hindi phrase without the English equivalent and the next thing I know, I'm getting this e-mail from Sam Semple wanting to know the meaning. So I told him that it simply means, "Buzz off before I call the nearest policeman.(who's generally about three miles away, overweight and obese, and thoroughly incapable of running more than 10 metres without suffering myo-cardial infarction.)"
Evidently he didn't get it, and so dumped "Kindly leave me alone." over there.

By the way, that isn't bechen wallahs but bechne wallahs. Bechen wallahs translates into "He who is anxious."

Hey, just to get the facts right, I didn't type it wrong! You can't live in Bombay for 15 years and mix up your Bambaiya Hindi! Actually, I happened to type just the Hindi phrase without the English equivalent and the next thing I know, I'm getting this e-mail from Sam Semple wanting to know the meaning. So I told him that it simply means, "Buzz off before I call the nearest policeman.(who's generally about three miles away, overweight and obese, and thoroughly incapable of running more than 10 metres without suffering myo-cardial infarction.)"
Evidently he didn't get it, and so dumped "Kindly leave me alone." over there.

By the way, that isn't bechen wallahs but bechne wallahs. Bechen wallahs translates into "He who is anxious."

is there such a thing as "bechne walas" I thought the all encompassing term here for hawkers, sweet sellers, vegetable vendors and basically anyone who has anything to sell is "baiya" as in "kya bhaiya, kya samjha hain humko" or "bhaiya, iska kitna" or " bhaiya ek geelass ganna juice dena please" (yummy)