Class 21. Manglish, and the slang that gets you adopted. Textbook Malayalam gets you understood. Slang gets you adopted. There is a specific moment it happens: the day you look at a friend's new phone and instead of "very nice" you say കിടു (kidu). Something shifts in the room. ONE WARNING FIRST Slang is peer language. Everything here is safe with friends your own age and risky with elders, officials and strangers. Slang flows sideways and downward. Never upward. THE PRAISE DIAL, MILD TO MAXIMUM • കൊള്ളാം (kollaam) — nice, not bad. The workhorse. Literally "it will do", used exactly as the British use "not bad". The only one on this list you can safely say to your mother-in-law. • നല്ലതാണ് (nallathaanu) — it is good. Neutral, safe everywhere. • അടിപൊളി (adipoli) — superb. The elder statesman of cool; even parents say it now, which is why teenagers moved on. • പൊളി (poli) — excellent. Youth speech. Online you will see it spelled "pwoli". • കിടു (kidu) — awesome, killer. Current champion. • കിടുവേ (kiduvee) — stretch the vowel, raise the volume. THE FALSE FRIEND THAT CATCHES EVERY LEARNER തല്ലിപ്പൊളി (thallippoli) looks like it belongs to the poli praise family. It does not. It means worthless, trashy. Thallippoli padam is a terrible film. Learners who reason that extra poli means extra good get laughed at warmly, in front of everyone. Now you will not. THE TROUBLE AND TEASING KIT പണി കിട്ടി (pani kitti) I'm in for it · പണി തരുക (pani tharuka) to stitch someone up · സീൻ ആണ് (scene aanu) there's a situation · തള്ള് (thallu) bragging · ചളി (chali) a lame joke · വട്ട് (vattu) craziness · കലിപ്പ് (kalippu) temper · ഫ്രീക്കൻ (freakan) a show-off. Note that പണി, the ordinary word for work, has a complete second life meaning trouble. THE FRIENDSHIP WORDS മച്ചാൻ (machaan) dude · ചങ്ക് (changk) best friend — it literally means heart, so save it for your closest circle · പക്ക (pakka) definitely · കട്ട (katta) hardcore. Taught by Dr. Reshmi R Nair.