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I often hear the exclamation "too good" in Indian English. Sometimes it describes food, sometimes music, sometimes an event, anything really; it's rather versatile, common enough to have been included in this listicle from LearningIndia.in, which explains:

too good: extremely good, NOT excessively good

For a (Hinglish) usage example, see this video where a judge uses it to praise a performance; it pretty clearly illustrates how it's used.

I wish to know the origin and extent of this phrase's use in India. Indians are wont to translate literally; is this an example of that? What was the original phrase/language? I can't think of any native phrase for this to have been paralleled off of. Is it simply hyperbole? Is it a random quirk that somehow gained popularity? When did it come about? Is it a British thing that was preserved in India?

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  • Where do you hear this? In India, or among Indians living outside the country?
    – Xanne
    Commented Dec 13, 2023 at 6:11
  • The use of "too" as "a mere intensifier" is in Merriam-Webster (2c) and the OED; the OED's first citation is the Ayenbite of Inwyt (1340).
    – Stuart F
    Commented Dec 13, 2023 at 14:45
  • @Xanne - both, but mainly in India. Commented Dec 15, 2023 at 7:55

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