tongawalla
A historical Anglo-Indian term for the driver or operator of a tonga — a light two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage used as public transport in colonial India.
Definitions
A historical Anglo-Indian term for the driver or operator of a tonga — a light two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage used as public transport in colonial India. Like 'compass wallah', it combines a specific noun with the Hindi '-wallah' suffix denoting the person associated with that thing.
The tongawalla bargained hard before agreeing to take them to the railway station.
Comments
(India) The operator of a tonga .
Comments
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "tongawalla".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "tongawalla" (T)
Browse all slang words starting with T.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- compass wallah67%
Anglo-Indian historical slang for a land surveyor, combining the instrument of the trade ('compass') with the Hindi suffix '-wallah' (a person associated with a particular thing or job). The term was used informally in colonial India and reflects the pidgin-flavoured vocabulary that developed between British administrators and the local population.
- autowallah63%
(India) driver, chauffeur (especially of an autorickshaw).
- puncture-wallah63%
Indian English for the roadside mechanic who fixes flat tyres — an absolutely essential figure in Indian urban and rural life. The word 'wallah' is a Hindi suffix meaning a person associated with a particular trade or task, so puncture-wallah literally translates as 'puncture person'. These guys set up small roadside stalls, often just a bucket of water and some patches, and can have your tyre fixed in minutes for a small fee. A practical, affectionate term recognized across South Asia.
- tentwallah62%
(India) A person who sells or hires out tents, mostly for weddings and parties.