25 Hindi Idioms Inspired By Food
8 Nov
When food couples with language, delicious idioms are born.
My mother tongue Hindi invokes the nature, tastes, colors and characteristics of food with great wit and insight in these idioms.
1. Aam ke aam, gutliyon ke daam
Literal translation: To earn the price not only of mangoes but also their pits
Used when you make a killing with a deal or decision, profiting on even the valueless peripherals.
A close equivalent of "hitting two birds with one stone".
2. Aasman se gire khajoor me atke
Literal translation: Fallen from the sky, stuck on a date palm
Used when you get over one hurdle and bump into another. Much like "from the frying pan into the fire".
3. Aate dal ka bhav maloon hona
Literal translation: To know the price of flour and pulses
To come to learn the realities of living. Often used to poke fun at one who steps out of a sheltered, ignorant life into the struggles of the real world.
4. Apni khichdi alag pakana
Literal translation: To cook one’s khichdi by oneself
Used when someone differs from the collective opinion of a group and decides to go his own way.
5. Bandar kya jaane adrak ka swad
Literal translation: What would a monkey know of the taste of ginger?
A sarcastic barb aimed at one who dares to criticize something you have made/worn/recommended.
Dislike? You have poor taste. Period.
6. Dal mein kaala
Literal translation: Black (particles) in dal
Before dal is cooked, the lentils are sifted to remove the impostors – tiny stones, dust etc. Store-bought dal in Indian cities has eliminated this step but the idiom is very much in currency.
Used when you suspect something fishy is afoot.
7. Dal nahin gali
Literal translation: Dal (when cooked) did not disintegrate
When making dal, the lentils need to be boiled for a long time before they become fit for consumption (assuming no pressure cooker is involved, as was undoubtedly the case centuries ago in the kitchen of the person who coined this phrase). You may add all the tadka you like, but if the pulses haven’t disintegrated the dal goes to waste.
That is what "dal nahi gali" means – a wasted attempt.
So if you use the line "bandar kya jaane adrak ka swad" on your critic yet he remains unfazed – your arrow missed its mark, despite your try. Dal nahin gali.
8. Doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani
Literal translation: Milk with milk, water with water
In life, as with soluble fluids like milk and water, facts get muddled with half-truths and lies. But unlike soluble fluids, fact and fiction can be separated under a perceptive lens. When that happens, we have a "doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani" moment – the attainment of clarity, the emergence of truth.
When Hercule Poirot resolves a whodunit in the novel’s climax, he does a "doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani".
When the vegetable vendor insists the okra he’s selling is young and tender but you sense it isn’t, you try the "bend test" on an okra piece. If it snaps, it’s young. No guesswork, no ambiguity – “doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani”.
9. Doodh ka dhula
Literal translation: Washed in milk
Whatever is "doodh ka dhula" is supposed to have no evils, however the idiom is seldom used as a compliment. It is more commonly used with negation: "tum bhi koi doodh ke dhule nahin ho" – you aren’t exactly flawless either.
10. Doodh ki nadiyan bahana
Literal translation: To pour away rivers of milk
Used when someone spends extravagantly, as in preparing for a wedding.
11. Ek anaar sau beemar
Literal translation: One pomegranate, a hundred ill
Used when there are too many contenders for an object, such that a fair division seems impossible.
12. Ghar ki murgi dal barabar
Literal translation: A chicken at home seems no better than dal (pulses)
On the lines of "the grass is greener on the other side". Used when someone undervalues his own possessions.
The assumption is that chicken is a more coveted meal than dal. Indian vegetarians have thus far lodged no protests and use the idiom as much as their meat-eating brethren.
13. Ghee ke diye jalana
Literal translation: To light lamps full of ghee (clarified butter)
To rejoice. Ghee is the most expensive Indian cooking medium; using it to light lamps is a luxury you’d allow yourself only when you’re extremely happy.
14. Hing lage na phitkari, rang bhi chowka aye
Literal translation: No asafoetida, no potash alum, yet a lovely color
Used when you are rewarded handsomely for little effort.
15. Kaam ka na kaaj ka, dushman anaaj ka
Literal translation: Doesn’t do any work, is an enemy of grains
Another pejorative – a colorful way of calling out "You good-for-nothing fellow!"
16. Karela Neem Chadha
Literal translation: Bitter gourd flavored with neem
Imagine the effect of rubbing the very bitter neem on bitter gourd.
Used for a foul-natured person or a situation that turns out to be even worse than feared.
17. Khatte angoor
Literal translation: Sour grapes
Enough said.
18. Kis khel ki mooli hai?
Literal translation: Which farm is that radish from?
Used with contempt when talking of another person who you think is trying to act too smart.
19. Muft ki rotiyan todna
Literal translation: Tearing off chapatis for free
Used to refer to freeloaders sponging on another’s generosity. Also with negation: "maine muft ki rotiyan nahin todi" – I haven’t taken any free lunches, I have earned my bread.
20. Namak khana
Literal translation: Eating salt
Immortalized by the line from the film Sholay (1975): "Sarkar, maine apka namak khaya hai." (My lord, I have eaten your salt), spoken by a minion of the dacoit chief Gabbar, as plea to spare his life.
When a person eats another’s salt i.e. depends on another for his meals, he is bonded to the salt-giver through debt and loyalty. One who upholds this salt-forged bond is namak halaal (faithful), one who betrays it is namak haram (traitor).
The Hindi film industry is pretty fond of this idiom, as the names of these films indicate – Namak Halaal (1982) and Namak Haraam (1973).
21. Oont ke munh mein jeera
English translation: A cumin seed in a camel’s mouth
A cumin seed is not much of a meal for a camel, similarly anything called "oont ke munh mein jeera" is a grossly insufficient offer.
22. Papad belna
Literal translation: Rolling out papads
Rolling out papads is an arduous task, which is why doing it at home has gone out of fashion. Most households have switched to buying ready-to-roast papads from the store.
Papad belna is to put in extraordinary efforts to achieve something.
23. Tedhi ungli se ghee nikalna
Literal translation: Bending the finger to extract ghee
Ghee solidifies at room temperature, some of it getting stuck to hard-to-reach surfaces of its container such as the sides near the top. To take ghee out of such situations, a spoon will not do – one needs to bend the finger and scoop it out.
The idiom is used when one cuts corners or deviates from the rules to get what one wants.
24. Thali ka baingan
Literal translation: An eggplant on a plate
When a round eggplant is placed on a plate, it rolls at the slightest tilt.
A person called "thali ka baingan" shifts loyalties as it suits him and cannot be trusted.
25. Yeh munh aur masoor ki dal?
Literal translation: This face – and you want red lentil soup?
Masoor ki dal (red lentil soup) used to be prepared as a rich delicacy in royal households, a meal fit for kings.
And so you fling this retort at those who demand way more than they deserve.
Old Hindi film song inspired by this idiom – watch it here.
—
Any others?
This was a real blast..we shared it on FB and everyone loves it.
Good to know you enjoyed it. Thanks a lot for sharing :)
LOL!! This is so cool!
:) Thank you Ansh.
A delightful website. Thought i’d add to this pot:
Lohe ke chane chabana (face a challenging situation)
Pani pani hona (be extremely embarassed)
Thota chana baje ghana (all talk and no action)
Thanks Sevpuri Rocks (what a lovely name!).
Hahahaha, good post!!
And here’s one that’s not specific but about food in general:
“Daane daane pe likha hai khaane waale ka naam”
(Translation: Each grain is engraved with the name of person who’ll eat it…) :D
Unchi dukaan, phikay pukwaan.
Fancy shop but the stocks bland sweets.
Thanks for those, Nisha and Sangeeta. The translations in English sound so off, no :)
Great post! Apke muh meh ghee shakkar (sorry couldn’t resist! )
Thanks, and great to see you here Mallika – love your blog! [makkhan nahin laga rahi, kasam se :P]
Jalebi ki tarah seedha
I think the explanation for the first one is incorrect. I think the translation is “getting an aam for the price of the guttli” — which means the same thing … Getting a great deal.
Thanks for this post. Very helpful and enjoyable.
We south asians really say it with food don’t we?
Here is another one
Doodh ka Jala Chaaj bhi Phoonk Phoonk kar peeta hai
Hi… I loved dese idioms n I m going to keep it as my kitty game.
What a wonderful article ! I am a south Indian, so a lot of wonderful nuances of The beautiful language that Hindi is are lost on me. I actualy came here because i was trying to understand “yeh mooh aur masoor ki dal” idiom.And oh boy, ended up learning a lot,smiling, and getting hungry to boot :).
As a vegetarian myself, couldnt help chuckling at your ‘chicken’ sense of humour :) .
Glad you liked it kasthuri :-)
Thanks a lot …. Its Very helpful … God Bless Yew :)
I love love love this, thanks so much for sending the link! I’ve shared on social media. Won’t you make it into a book, as I have with Edible French?
Hi clotilde, Welcome here! I hopped over to your site to find that I must thank “Gourmet Girl” for sending the link to you – I didn’t, but I’m super-glad she did :-)
Wish you the best with Edible French – lovely concept!
Great list, really enjoyed it. Came over here after I saw the link on Clotilde’s (from chocolateandzucchini.com) latest favorites list, only to realize that I had already checked out your blog as I was looking for a raw jackfruit curry recipe.
I’d add another one to your list: kabab mein haddi. A bone in the kabab, meaning something out of place in an annoying way, something or someone butting in where they shouldn’t.
Welcome back here Aisha :-) Ah “kabab mein haddi”…thanks for that! Classic example: the chaperone who tags along with the girl when she goes out with the guy she is supposed to have an arranged marriage with.
Nak par supari todana muhaware ka arth
I loved your website.Actually i reached your website when i was finding some idioms and there meanings.I am soory that i don’t have any idiom but the idioms on your website were very nice.I have got a very good inspiration from your website. I loved your website. hope you will reply me.I will be waiting for your reply.oh i am really soory, by the way i am a school girl and i am 11 years old.
Hi Arunima, Thanks for stopping by and sharing your nice feedback :-)
Jaley pe namak chhidakna.
Few more…
1-Apni dahi kisi ko khatti nahi lagti hai.
2-Akela chana bhaad nahi phodta hai.
3-kharbooje ko dekhkar kharbooja rang badalta hai.
4-do joon ki roti naseeb hona
5-khaya piya kuchh nahi gilas toda 12 aana.
6-paancho ungliya ghee me aur sir kadahi me hona.
Those are some interesting less-known ones!
1 – quite a contrast to ‘ghar ki murgi dal barabar’, isn’t it?
5 – hadn’t heard of this before – eminently usable :-)
since its 2 June today there is another hindi idiom on food “Doo Joon ki Roti…bhi naseeb nahi”
Thanks !
Well timed :-D
how to say chinti kaati in English and pate main chuhe(rats) daudren in English
Out of syllabus question ;-) – those are not food idioms. In any case I’ll give the second a shot: instead of “mere pet mein chuhe daud rahe hain”, one could say “I’m ravenous” or “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”.
hi friends, i like all the idioms , but i have no idea about this idiom ( do june ki roti naseeb hona), pls some one explain me.
‘june’ is not the month in this idiom, it means a meal-time. ‘do june ki roti naseeb hona’ is equivalent to ‘being able to afford two square meals’.
“Tere muh main ghee shaakr” how you say it in english
Literally “ghee and sugar in your mouth” is the response when one is particularly pleased with something someone has said. The closest English equivalent I can think of is “bless you for saying that”.
Literally, I mean it, ‘Bless you for saying that.’ Nothing could be more appropriate.
However, I have been struggling to translate – jhoothha khana. Leftover food on someone’s plate is very long. nothing closer or more appropriate comes to my mind.
@Poonam Malik: Very interesting point! I can’t think of anything closer either – there is probably no equivalence of the concept in English.
I stumbled on to this post while searching for a recipe, and even a few years later, I love it. I wish people would use this colorful speech much more in daily life.
A few more food related idioms for you:
a. Andar laddoo phoot rahe hain
literal meaning, sweets are erupting inside you;
meaning: feeling overjoyed inside, though outside you may present a straight face to hide your true feelings.
b. Chaati pe moong dalna
literal meaning: splitting mung beans on one’s chest
meaning: tremendously harassing someone
keep the pronunciation of ‘dalna’ in mind: it is not daalna like put, but dhalna like making dal
c. Birbal ki khichdi pakana
literal meaning: cooking Birbal’s khichdi
meaning: do something in a very long drawn out way that won’t succeed: like when Birbal proved his point by suspending his khichdi pot far above the cooking fire
d. Baasi kadhi ubaalna
literal meaning: re-boiling stale kadhi
meaning: go on repetitively about a stale topic,
Thanks for the original post!!
Hello Namesake! Thanks a lot for the additions. Long time since I came across “Birbal ki khichdi pakana” in conversation – must seek out opportunities to use it myself :-P
Hi, I am back in the new year with one more:
Doodh ka jala chaach bhi phoonk-kar peeta hai
literal meaning: someone scalded by hot milk will hesitate and blow on even buttermilk before drinking it
meaning: someone who has had a bad experience becomes ultra cautious, e.g. the equivalent English idioms: once-bitten, twice-shy; or a burnt child dreads the fire ….
If I find more, I will be back.
Happy 2017!
“aap dono hathon mein laddo nahin rakh sktey” how you say it in english?
You can’t say, ” Heads, I win; tails, you lose!”
Kamal Kant
I think how you say that in English is “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” – ie you can’t enjoy a benefit and yet hoard it at the same time…..
Terrific list. Correcting two spellings: 1. Aate dal ka bhav malooM hona. 2. Kis kheT ki mooli hai?
Garibi main aata geela hona
Nice
No meaning their it is like occhi dukan phikha pakwan
A few more:
Ek anaar, sau bemaar
Langoor ke haath mein angoor
Boya ped babool ka to aam kahan se hove
Raita failna
Rai ka pahaad banana
Thanks for sharing, such a nicely written, love to read it.
I have one more “Daane Daane par likha hai khane wale ka naam”
i think there is one on onions also. Anyone know that (something like pyaaz bhi khaye or jutti bhi)
Very helpful. Hight apperecitable
Thank you Sohail!
I had a homework to find this so thank you for providing me this!
:D
Doodho nahao, pooto phalon..
Til ka taad banana..
Chane ki jhaad pe chadhana.