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‘Khana khayo?’ is not a question about food

Literally it asks whether you have eaten. Functionally it is a greeting, a welfare check, an apology for calling late, and a way out of a silence — depending entirely on who is asking, and when. A few rules nobody will ever tell you: From your mother: a real question, and “yes” is not a […]

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The difference between ‘la’, ‘la la’, and ‘la la la la’

One syllable, repeated. The number of repetitions is the entire message. La. Okay. Acknowledged. Neutral, faintly formal — this is what you say to a shopkeeper. La la. Right, understood, moving on. Mildly warm. The workhorse. La la la. Yes, yes, fine. I am agreeing mainly so that this can end. La la la la. […]