The Caption Game: The “Pukka Baby” Edition

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Avni and the idli.jpg

It is Monday, and that means it is time for a ridiculously-delayed (the last one I posted was last fall, I believe) edition of your favorite way to commence the day– The Caption Game. Since the vast majority of us are hungover, bleary-eyed, exhausted pensively contemplating our sure-to-be productive work week, captioning a funny (or in this case excruciatingly cute) picture is a gentle way to ease in to Monday.

This is little Avni and she is consuming an idli. Avni, idli, idli, Avni. Adorable, no? Avni’s mom was kind enough to allow us to imagine funny things baby might be thinking, as baby noms on one of my favorite South Indian foods. Blogger Neha Viswanathan of Global Voices Online inspired all of this when Avni showed up on her flickr stream. I thank her for securing permission from Mother, baby and idli, for this post.

Perplexed? Bemused? Hung-over? Consider previous editions of the Caption Game, awailable for your edification here: onnu, rendu, muunu, naalu, anji, aarru, erzhu , ettu, onpatu , pathu…

p.s. Backstory re: picture, after the jump. 馃檪

…Avni insisted on dancing to all the Tam songs which we played for her at home. Through an astute system of elimination, we have figured out that she芒鈧劉s a big Ilayaraja fan. Any number from the 70s and 80s with the hint of 16 beats and synth has her jumping up and down. (She doesn芒鈧劉t quite stand yet, so you have to hold her upright while she does the jumping.)
But here was the BEST part of the day. While Prema attempted force feeding Avni Cow and Gate blandness, Avni promptly spat it out or cheated. Or just pursed her lips so tight, that the spoon could barely graze her lips. We then tried to give Avni idlis, vadais and dosai. Which she promptly gobbled up. Her tiny hands were just aching to get to all the plates. Anything with salt in it. She loved it! At one point Prema asked -Avni do you want your mum or idli. We don芒鈧劉t know if Avni understood anything, but she promptly reached out for the plate with the idlis on it. Aha! She opened her mouth WIDE everytime an idli was nearby.
This little one – she loves Ilayaraja, likes her idlis. If that is not Tree-Tamil, what is? [cho kyute!]

Avni, you have fantastic taste. The rest of you? Caption away!

57 thoughts on “The Caption Game: The “Pukka Baby” Edition”

  5. “Idlis? No!!!!!! There goes my future as an Olympic gold medal winner. Yams please, mummy, yams. And make it Jamaican “Lightning Bolt” yams.”

  6. 1 脗路 SpottieOttieDopaliscious said

    Jeez Ma, can’t you wash your hands before you stick them in my mouth?

    As a baby whose second word was “dirty”* (accompanied by a well-timed nose wrinkle of disdain), I appreciate this submission more than you know. 馃槈

  9. “Decades later, when I am forty pounds overweight, I’ll remember this day.”

    M. Nam

  13. fist of all, you’ve neglected to serve an amuse-bouche, and frankly what sort of plebeian prepares idli without a cauliflower velout脙漏 or perhaps some red piquillo pepper. i won’t touch a dosa unless its sweetened with carrot and spiced precisely with a few specks of cumin or perhaps a light wash of lemon coulis black truffles, served on a rustic bed of lentils. hmmmph.

  15. 13 脗路 Manju said

    fist of all, you’ve neglected to serve an amuse-bouche, and frankly what sort of plebeian prepares idli without a cauliflower velout脙漏 or perhaps some red piquillo pepper. i won’t touch a dosa unless its sweetened with carrot and spiced precisely with a few specks of cumin or perhaps a light wash of lemon coulis black truffles, served on a rustic bed of lentils. hmmmph.

    That’s exactly what a brown Stewie would say.

  20. 15 脗路 Zen said

    That’s exactly what a brown Stewie would say.

    ohhhh! the family guy baby. yeah. i like him. that’s what i was like as a kid

  23. 3 脗路 Hadji’s Ghost said

    “I HAZ IDLIZ!! NOM NOM NOM NOM”

    Haa-ha. Nice one. Make it “I CAN HAZ IDLIZ! Nom Nom Nom.” I swear, that lolcats site makes my day any day.

    Cute bebe, that one in the pic.

  24. “etthana thadava solrathu (how many times do i have to tell you) – i bloody hate this sugar/honey nonsense you give me with idli – how about some of that mulagai podi i asked you for a zillion times? (and i’ll caveat this myself : yes, i know, honey is not for babies…)

    芒鈧vni insisted on dancing to all the Tam songs which we played for her at home. Through an astute system of elimination, we have figured out that she芒鈧劉s a big Ilayaraja fan. Any number from the 70s and 80s with the hint of 16 beats and synth has her jumping up and down. (She doesn芒鈧劉t quite stand yet, so you have to hold her upright while she does the jumping.)

    that was so me as a baby – i refused to ride in a car without some pattu – specifically of the illaiyaraja 70s and 80s genre…

  25. Oh hot damn I want some Idly and Raja Jam Keep the party goin by switchin to FM Y’all don’t understand I want to throw my hand up like an Iyer Iyer (Sorry Iyer just rhymes..lol)

  29. Commenter “crotchfruit”:

    we deleted your comment by accident. Our sincerest apologies, with idli on top. Please feel free to repost.

  30. “I better get as many of these idlis in my mouth as I can – I know this Amma of mine’ll be feeding me that C & G goop once we get home – bleakh!”

  34. Zen, I reread Manju’s post with a Brown Stewie’s voice in my head. It was fun. I furthered the thought with an ambiguous homosexual self-reference followed by a plot to ruin his mother.

  36. When the IDLIZ in the crib ma Drop it like it’s hot Drop it like it’s hot Drop it like it’s hot

  43. “Mama, wait, wait! Can you let me chew this first before you feed me another spoonful?”

  45. Thats a cute baby with big eyes. Does she have big iris or is that common to all babies?

  48. 13 脗路 Manju said

    fist of all, you’ve neglected to serve an amuse-bouche, and frankly what sort of plebeian prepares idli without a cauliflower velout脙漏 or perhaps some red piquillo pepper. i won’t touch a dosa unless its sweetened with carrot and spiced precisely with a few specks of cumin or perhaps a light wash of lemon coulis black truffles, served on a rustic bed of lentils. hmmmph.

    Niles? Is that you?

  49. bebe: In Suhasini‘s voice – Amma, burp me before I blow up. To the aunties – Mami, neengalhaavdhu konjam solla koodaadha?

    Sorry, I don’t see Bruce Willis coming from that kid. She’s too cute.