Polari - British gay slang
Created | Updated Feb 12, 2004
Polari is a British gay slang that has its roots in the eighteenth century underworld but reached its heyday in the 1950s and 60s. It is an eclectic mixture of slangs, dialects and languages common in London at the time, containing aspects of Cockney Rhyming Slang, Romany, Yiddish, Latin, criminal language, Backslang, Italian, circus speak, canal speak, theatre language and some original words and phrases. At a time when it was illegal to be gay in Britain and homosexuals were persecuted not just by the law but by society at large, Polari allowed gay people to speak openly to eachother without incriminating themselves.
It is interesting to note that even within the relatively small Polari-speaking community there was a split. The 'West End Queens' spoke a version of the language which contained a lot of theatre speak and they regarded both themselves and their slang as much more upmarket than the East End version which was heavily influenced by canal language and criminal slang. Whichever version you spoke, however, you could be sure that you wouldn't be understood by the uninitiated.
Since the legalisation and general acceptance and tolerance of homosexuality, Polari has become obsolete and has all but died out. Recently, however, there have been some efforts by the gay community to preserve it and most gay people know at least a few words, often without realising it. Indeed some Polari words are now used in everyday English. For example, camp (as in effeminate), drag (as in clothes), queen (as in gay male), dishy, mincing (as in walking affectedly), bijou (as in small), scarper, naff, bevvy and butch are all words that 40 years ago would only have been used by Polari speakers.
Here are a few other Polari words you may or may not know:
Bona - Good
Bonaroo - Wonderful, excellent
Omi - Man
Polone - Woman
Omi-polone - Gay man
Nachy - Night
Ecaf / Eek - Face
Carsey - House, loo, brothel
Cottage - Public loo
Vada / Varda - See
Fantabulosa - Wonderful
Lilly (Law) - Police
Sharping Omi - Policeman
Ogles - Eyes
Trade - Sex
Willets / Jubes - Breasts
Cartso - Penis
Lallies - Legs
Ajax - Nearby
Riah - Hair
Nanti - No, not
Luppers - Fingers
Bungery - Pub
Meshigener - Crazy
Troll - Walk
Lills - Hands
Dolly - Pleasant
Lucoddy - Body
Cove - Friend
Polari - Chat, talk
Cackle - talk, gossip
Tober - Road
To hear Polari as it was spoken listen to the BBC archive recordings of Julian and Sandy on 'Round the Horne'.
Well, it's been bonaroo cackling with you, my old coves, but my luppers are knackered now so I'm off for a troll up the tober to the ajax bungery for a few bevvies. Bona nochy.
It is interesting to note that even within the relatively small Polari-speaking community there was a split. The 'West End Queens' spoke a version of the language which contained a lot of theatre speak and they regarded both themselves and their slang as much more upmarket than the East End version which was heavily influenced by canal language and criminal slang. Whichever version you spoke, however, you could be sure that you wouldn't be understood by the uninitiated.
Since the legalisation and general acceptance and tolerance of homosexuality, Polari has become obsolete and has all but died out. Recently, however, there have been some efforts by the gay community to preserve it and most gay people know at least a few words, often without realising it. Indeed some Polari words are now used in everyday English. For example, camp (as in effeminate), drag (as in clothes), queen (as in gay male), dishy, mincing (as in walking affectedly), bijou (as in small), scarper, naff, bevvy and butch are all words that 40 years ago would only have been used by Polari speakers.
Here are a few other Polari words you may or may not know:
Bona - Good
Bonaroo - Wonderful, excellent
Omi - Man
Polone - Woman
Omi-polone - Gay man
Nachy - Night
Ecaf / Eek - Face
Carsey - House, loo, brothel
Cottage - Public loo
Vada / Varda - See
Fantabulosa - Wonderful
Lilly (Law) - Police
Sharping Omi - Policeman
Ogles - Eyes
Trade - Sex
Willets / Jubes - Breasts
Cartso - Penis
Lallies - Legs
Ajax - Nearby
Riah - Hair
Nanti - No, not
Luppers - Fingers
Bungery - Pub
Meshigener - Crazy
Troll - Walk
Lills - Hands
Dolly - Pleasant
Lucoddy - Body
Cove - Friend
Polari - Chat, talk
Cackle - talk, gossip
Tober - Road
To hear Polari as it was spoken listen to the BBC archive recordings of Julian and Sandy on 'Round the Horne'.
Well, it's been bonaroo cackling with you, my old coves, but my luppers are knackered now so I'm off for a troll up the tober to the ajax bungery for a few bevvies. Bona nochy.
