Babu

The word babu has a number of meanings:

• In Egyptian mythology, Babu is an alternate spelling for Beb.
• In British India, Babu came to mean a native Indian clerk. The word was used as a term of respect attached to a proper name, like "Master" or "Mr." and Babuji was used in many parts of India meaning "Sir." But later Babu, without the suffix, was generally used contemptuously as signifying a semi-literate native, with a mere veneer of modern education. In the early 20th century the term Babu was frequently used to refer to bureaucrats and other government officials, especially by the Indian media; in this sense the word hints at corrupt and/or lazy work practices. It can also mean pimp or client of a sex worker.
• In northern and eastern parts of India, Babuji is a term of respect for one's father. It can also be used as a term of respect for any respected elder or man.
• Babu District an administrative division in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
• In Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim, Babu Hurree Chunder Mookerjee figures importantly as a friend of Kim's and player in the "Great Game". The Babu is a Bengali of chameleon character (and gargantuan girth), comic at times but well-skilled in the Game.
• Babu is the name that wrestler Pablo Marquez wrestled under in the World Wrestling Federation back in 1998 during a brief stint as a manservant to Tiger Ali Singh whom he would accompany to the ring and perform humiliating stunts for, very similar to the "Virgil" character which used to accompany "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase to the WWF wrestling ring in the 80's.
• N. Chandrababu Naidu, former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state in India.
• Mahesh Babu, A popular movie actor from India who works in Tollywood.
• In hip-hop, Babu refers to DJ Babu of the band Dilated Peoples.
• Babu was a bumbling genie character on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Jeannie and later Laff-a-Lympics.
• Babu is also a Quebecois radio and television personality and MusiquePlus VJ.
• In some Indian states, Babu is also used as a generic word of respect to address people in various walks of like, e.g., "Babu, can you help me ?"
• In Kerala and Nepal, Babu could mean 'son'.
• In Bengali, Babu is used as suffix to a person's name for showing respect while calling him by name, e.g., "Sudarshanbabu, can you please come here!"
• Babu Bhatt is a short-lived Pakistani character on the American sitcom Seinfeld, specifically in the episodes "The Cafe," "The Visa," and the series finale.
• In Tollywood, Telugu heroes from the chowdary caste are also referred as Babu.
• Babu is sometimes lovingly used for younger people.
• In Taiwan, Babu is the term used for ice-cream delivery wagons, based on the sound of the horn used to summon customers.