No, it's not a bad word. Really, I mean come on. Like all slang, it captures feelings that a hundred words can't capture. In one word.
Honestly, think about it. How many times have you used it ? Recently someone asked if I'd come along to see Fanaa, even if he paid for it. Yup - you guessed my reply. The other day someone expected me to drive down to Bandra from town in half an hour, in rush hour. Reply? Yup. Then someone at office was saying that Holland would win the World Cup this year. What else could I reply? Hell, this optimistic friend of mine thought we'd get parking outside Pappa Pancho on a Saturday night. What did I tell him ? You get the drift.
Then today I read somewhere that Bombay's the rudest city in the world. Now you know what I'm talking about.
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25 comments:
Aare I absolutely disagree that bombay is the rudest city, but yeah the tapoti language is apparently very rampant :)
If you read my latest post my frds ( only men) have been complaining abt my taporiness. And now you go ahead and teach me more tapori stuff.
Everyone says sudhar ja kusum, I say GHANTA!!! :P
hey -
i totally agree with you, man! we're rude, we're crude, get used to it!! posted something quite similar (although not quite as eloquent) on my blog.
gg
Ghanta is more like a sarcastic "yeah sure", i guess...
Ghanta!
Let the people of Bombay decide which city is the rudest and I dont think anyone will agree.
Good one!
all big cities are rude - they can't afford to be any other way...
you left a comment in my blog about backlinks. i think they are working fine in both blogs.
it's just that sometimes google blog server acts crazy.
screenshot here
flickr.com/photos/amit-agarwal/172672025/
i din't have your email so had no other option but to drop a comment here.
HTH,
Amit Agarwal
@ Kusum - duniya bigdi hai yaar, aap ko kyu sudharna hai ! I have read your posts and believe that your response to these men is perfect !
@ GG - boss your post was far more eloquent ! good to know we agree.
@ selma - sigh ! I wish I could define what "ghanta" meant. Lovely word tho.
@ Punds - thanks dude, loved your post on this !
@ tilo - yes, I guess that's probably true.
@ Amit - sorry and thanks. My problem remains that altho the links to post appears, it doesn't carry any link. For eg desipundit linked up to this post, but it's not showing on my blog. Damn !
Sorry (I mean, reallly really sorry for being a kill joy), but what does Ghanta mean?
@ jacob - lol. to explain ghanta would take another longer post ! slang words are prolly about the feeling rather than the meaning. I think as selma says above, i.e. "yeah right!" would come a bit, just a bit close.
Whoaa! U are my hero!
such a topic nicely touched and superbly said :)
@ Ashish - thank you !
@ Jacob - I forgot to give you the literal meaning of ghanta (and also note dp's link to my host) - it means a bell. To quote an anguished Rajpal Yadav in "Hungama" - "Mein kya mandir ka ghanta hu jo sab mujhe baja ke jaate hain ?"
ghanta....ghantu....abbe ghantaghar....these usually take care of any situation when any logical answer is ACTUALLY a waste of time....nice to see people efficiently using their time :)
@ Epiphany - that's also prolly true for any slang word, right ? :)
I protest. We ain't rude....
I use the word quite a few times, apparently... And I do not mean in a derogatory sense, its when you need to state very nicely to someone that what they just said was total crap... Ghanta!
It's just perfect to use in some situations, where any other word just does not do it...
About the rudeness, I think there were some great articles in the Sunday times by Bachi Karkaria and Chandan Rajghatta debunking the theory...
@ selma - I don't think we should take the survey seriously at all. I mean, if they use random parameters to define "rudeness", hell I'm proud to be called rude ! I agree with Dilip when he says it's a badge of honour. Hey - isn't that the Bambaiya spirit as well ? Apun ko rude bola ? Ghanta !
@ SCDoshi - I use it similarly and am quite surprised at the frequency with which I use it! I did read those articles, but from my pov, I don't think we should defend ourselves at a stupid survey like this.
Hi,
The survey is totally baseless and non scientific...so to all such surveys calling us rude..chal --hawa aane de !!!
:))
Well you made me realise that Ghanta is actually a bad word ...........
Dude, did you know that googling "ghanta" returns this page as the NUMBER TWO result???!!
hey guys !!
I have created a facebook page for everyone who uses the word "GHANTA!!" frequently so pls become fan of the page...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/i-luv-the-word-GHANTA/108730269146462?ref=nf
Ghanta is an exclamation to express one's disagreement, disgust, anger, almost anything. It can be used as a subsitute for balls,shit etc. it signifies much more force than the above mentioned words.
Hey totally agree wid u.....we r wht we r and we shud be wht we want to be....bt i really want to knw wht does our fav. wrd 'ghanta' means...as i offen use it...
Ghanta is one of the most genuine and helpful words to give u a sense of unparalleled satisfaction no other word or gaali can provide.
When with deep conviction you utter this word it sends bells ringing harmoniously all around and you carry that satisfied feeling with you for long time.
The handiness of this word and free usage nationwide has not been able to dent its image of being a cliched or trite expression, it is like movie Sholay the more you see the more you like.
Mumbai is rudest, well it may be for some but mumbai is life on its own and no doubt ghanta is synonimous with this city.
Ghanta means bell, which in Mumbai it relates to mans organ.
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