Malayalam is an extremely complex language and offers a wide array of expletives, many of which I have been a victim to (my fault, people would say). Even though the language offers a different swear word for each degree of animosity you feel, the most commonly used and loved one is the “Patti”. Patti _for dog. Why would you call your enemy a _patti, isn’t that kind of a compliment? You are inadvertently implying that he is a gentle, loyal and loving fellow (so loving that he drools all over you) and better than most humans you will probably meet in this lifetime. Patti is no insult unless you aim to insult the patti. Paavam.
Orotti is similarly a misplaced insult that people (read, my family) use to describe bread that is tough and cracks a tooth or two. “What is this, some kind of orotti?”, you would say as you flex your muscles to tear apart that bread. I think it has something to do with the name; OROTTI does sound tough. Whereas in reality, it is a delicious, flat bread from Ker