Guha tells me (and has told me before - but I keep forgetting) that there is a bridge in Madras that is called "Barber" Bridge. But apparently that bridge was originally called "Hamilton" Bridge. The Tamils apparently could not pronounce "Hamilton" but called it "Umbuttun" bridge instead. Over the years it became known as "The Barber Bridge".
But why Barber bridge, of all things?
Oh, because umbuttun in Tamil means barber.
I told Guha that I'd put this little tale up because I like it and so that I'd remember it. He said he didn't know whether the story was factually correct...
Namrata, a friend, has the loopy idea that heebie-jeebies and the bengali hiji biji must be connected somehow. She even had a loopy story about it - but I've forgotten the tale she concocted.
