Log on to desi slang dictionary

[1]

Words like dhansu, lochcha, phokat and ghanta that till now were just a part of conversation between youngsters, have now found a place in an online dictionary, Desi Slang — Aap Ki Likhi Dictionary. Besides offering meanings of the slang words, the dictionary also provides slang synonyms or offers an alternate slang which is close in meaning.

Interestingly, people can add and define new words and even add new meanings to the words popular in their regions.
Shikha Chattpar, CEO, Fame Express LLC, who’s the founder of the platform, got the idea after her marriage to a Mumbaiite. “Being a north Indian, I wasn’t able to understand some of the local slang words that he used. I also discovered that every region in India has slangs that people living in other parts have not even heard of. I was so fascinated with it that I started an online forum that would bring everybody together,” says Shikha.
College student Vaibhav Sehgal, who has been a regular on this online site for sometime, thinks that sites like these are fun. “Living in Delhi, we get to meet people from different regions. While some words are common all over, there are certain words which are very region-specific. Like, many of my friends from other states were not aware of the word tharki (a womaniser) that is very popular in Delhi. It’s nice to have a portal where we can add and check out all these words,” he says.
A “leaderboard” on the site ranks the contributor from one to 25, based on their contribution of words and the likes that they have got from other users.
Sandhya Sharma, who hasn’t been able to climb up the leaderboard but has been a regular visitor, says that when she moved to Mumbai recently, she visited the online dictionary to find the meaning of some local slangs.