The Sunday newspapers are perfect when having a cup or two of chai, parathas, and lots to read. It is also the day of the week when matrimonial ads are displayed and the stress reappears.
For those who are searching for that special someone, the arranged marriage market is more competitive than ever. Print ads, online dating sites, and the traditional matriarch with connections, the arranged marriage market is big business and stress.
And then there are the acronyms. PQM, SM, IAS, MBA, MNC, it’s like reading letters on the eye chart! Indians love acronyms and with the short spacing allowing, it is all about maximizing ad real estate.
If your family is just starting their search for you, or you are looking yourself, here’s a glossary of the terms used in newspaper ads. Otherwise, you could end up with an OF (an old fart!).
Here’s my help me glossary to understanding wedding ads in the Indian papers:
PQM – Professionally Qualified Match
PQSM
HQM
M/NM – Manglik/non-Manglik
SRIV – Shrivastava
SM
NCR – National Capital Region (delhi)
NRI – Non resident Indian
NI
IAS – Indian Administrative Service
PGT – Post Graduate Teacher
IA
KKB – Kanyakubj Brahmin
PQG – Professionally Qualified Gentleman
MUM – Mumbai
NAN
SBI – State Bank of India
BRH
LPA – lakhs per annum,
BHP – bio-data, horoscope and photo
BTFUL – beautiful
Caste no bar – Willing to marry someone outside of their caste, or social class.
Alliance – Commonly used to ensure the marriage is also about the families, not just the two fools getting marriage.
No issue – The person was previously married, now divorced and has no kids from that marriage. Or so, we hope.
Upper caste no bar –
Spinster – unwed, older lady. Pretty mean to say!
MNC – Multi national corporation
DME – Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
LLB – Law Degree
M.com – Masters in Commerce
Jat – group native to the Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu, Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan areas.
GREEN – green card holder
B’LORE – Bangalore
Some jargon I just don’t understand. Perhaps I’m not as cool and versed as I thought I would be.