People who sell wares on the roads, especially in non-commercial localities, have a distinct style to calling out their wares. Almost all are very catchy and sometimes difficult to figure out unless of course you come out of your home and check out the wares they sell…that being their objective I think.
A few sounds which have intrigued me for years…yep I ain’t kidding, I’ve listed below. I have figured every one of them…but would you have, if you had heard it for the first time?
- Koaaaaaaah….Koaaaaah – Well, wish I could upload a recording of this man’s cry early in the morning. That should be a clue for people living in tradition soaked Madras. He cycles along slowly with a white sack at the back and makes this sound. The sound itself doesn’t rise in the same level instead there is a slight dip immediately after ‘o’ and the first ‘ah’ of the many ‘ah’ sounds. And what was it? It was, I kid you not, Kolamaaave (rangoli powder)! I guess years of selling the stuff made him come out with a unique sound which swallowed the ‘l’ and the ‘m’ and it became one long – Koaaaaaaah.
- Ast pix samaney – No not Astrix comics nor was he trying to sell assorted pictures. This one stumped me for the longest. And then, one day without looking at his cart (hah!) I managed to decode his sound! Brace yourself…for he was selling Plastic samaney (samaney is things in Tamil). Plas…tic became ‘Ast…pix’. Maybe he had problems with tongue twisters…Plastic…astpix, black background brown background…etc?
- This one was on a train to Bangalore. My friend and I were waiting impatiently to reach our destination while trying to while away time reading books and this gem came along. ‘Vadiyabodle’ ‘Vadiyabodle’ – this has to be pronounced with a quick ‘vadiya’ followed with a solemn long ‘bohhhhdle’. Guessed it? Between crazy doubts if he was selling ‘vaniyambadi’ (which incidentally is a place in Tamil Nadu) and craning our necks to see him, we figured out that it was …water bottle…water bottle (Huh? Huh? Huh?)
- Last but not the least. My favorite because of the sheer energy and rhythm put into this. Very easy to understand if you know Tamil. ‘Yelnyoi! Yelnyoi!’ Got it, right? That’s ‘elaneer’ or tender coconut water. But this young boy from whom I buy tender coconut many times, says it with a zing – ‘Yel’ he yells, ‘nyoiiiii’ – and drags it beautifully. It’s poetry.
Any others you know my appleees? Ahem…That was ‘apples’ which a fruit seller I know has happily coined just so that it filled her rhythm. 'Apple pazham' didn't have that right sound. So applees any one?
Comments
@Ani - You should have been there ani. Would've been in splits.