Language/Polari/Vocabulary/Glossary
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Polari is a coded language created by the British (and more precisely English) homosexual community. Almost completely disappeared today, it has long allowed men to express themselves freely by limiting the risks of repression against them.
Here is a glossary of common words:
A[edit | edit source] | |
| ajax | nearby |
| alamo | hot for you/him |
| aunt nell | listen, hear |
| aunt nells | ears |
| aunt nelly fakes | earrings |
| aunt nell danglers | earrings |
B[edit | edit source] | |
| barney | a fight |
| basket | the bulge of male genitals through clothes |
| batts | shoes |
| bibi | bisexual |
| bitch | effeminate or passive gay man |
| bijou | small/little |
| blag | pick up |
| blue | code word for “homosexual” |
| bod | body |
| bona | good |
| bona nochy | goodnight |
| bonaroo | wonderful, excellent |
| bungery | pub |
| butch | masculine; masculine lesbian |
| buvare | a drink |
C[edit | edit source] | |
| cackle | talk/gossip |
| camp | effeminate |
| capello/capella | hat |
| carsey | toilet, also spelt khazi |
| carts/cartso | penis |
| cats | trousers |
| charper | to search |
| charpering omi | policeman |
| charver | to shag/a shag/ have sex |
| chicken | young man |
| clobber | clothes |
| cod | naff, vile |
| cottage | a public lavatory used for sexual encounters |
| cottaging | seeking or obtaining sexual encounters in public lavatories |
| cove | friend |
| crimper | hairdresser |
D[edit | edit source] | |
| dally | sweet, kind |
| dilly boy | a male prostitute |
| dinari | money |
| dish | buttocks/backside |
| dolly | pretty, nice, pleasant |
| dona | woman |
| dorcas | term of endearment, “one who cares” |
| drag | clothes, esp. women’s clothes |
| doss | bed |
E[edit | edit source] | |
| ecaf | face (backslang) |
| eek | face (abbv. of ecaf) |
| ends | hair |
| esong | nose |
F[edit | edit source] | |
| fantabulosa | fabulous/wonderful |
| feele/freely/filly | child/young |
| fruit | queen |
| funt | pound |
G[edit | edit source] | |
| gelt | money |
H[edit | edit source] | |
| handbag | money |
| hoofer | dancer |
| HP (homy polone) | effeminate gay man |
J[edit | edit source] | |
| jarry | food |
| jubes | breasts |
K[edit | edit source] | |
| kaffies | trousers |
| khazi | toilet, also spelt carsey |
L[edit | edit source] | |
| lacoddy | body |
| lallies | legs |
| lallie tappers | feet |
| latty/lattie | room, house or apartment |
| lills | hands |
| lilly | police |
| lyles | legs |
| lucoddy | body |
| luppers | fingers |
M[edit | edit source] | |
| mangarie | food, also jarry |
| martinis | hands |
| measures | money |
| meese | plain, ugly |
| meshigener | nutty, crazy, mental |
| metzas | money |
| mince | walk (affectedly) |
N[edit | edit source] | |
| naff | awful, dull, hetero |
| nanti | not, no, none |
| National Handbag | dole, welfare, government financial assistance |
O[edit | edit source] | |
| ogle | look, admire |
| ogles | eyes |
| oglefakes | glasses |
| omi | man |
| omi-palone | effeminate man, or homosexual |
| onk | nose |
| orbs | eyes |
| oven | mouth |
P[edit | edit source] | |
| palare pipe | telephone |
| palliass | back |
| park, parker | give |
| plate | feet; to fellate |
| palone | woman |
| palone-omi | lesbian |
| pots | teeth |
R[edit | edit source] | |
| riah/riha | hair |
| riah zhoosher | hairdresser |
| rough trade | a working class or blue collar sex partner or potential sex partner; a tough, thuggish or potentially violent sex partner |
S[edit | edit source] | |
| schlumph | drink |
| scotch | leg (Scotch egg=leg) |
| screech | mouth, speak |
| sharpy | policeman (from charpering omi) |
| sharpy polone | policewoman |
| shush | steal |
| shush bag | hold-all |
| shyker/shyckle | wig |
| slap | makeup |
| so | homosexual (e.g. “Is he ‘so’?”) |
| stimps | legs |
| stimpcovers | stockings, hosiery |
| strillers | piano |
T[edit | edit source] | |
| thews | thighs |
| tober | road |
| todd (Sloanne) | alone |
| trade | sex, sex-partner, potential sex-partner |
V[edit | edit source] | |
| vada/varder | to see / look |
| vera (lynn) | gin |
| vogue | cigarette |
| vogueress | female smoker |
W[edit | edit source] | |
| willets | breasts |
Y[edit | edit source] | |
| yews | eyes |
Z[edit | edit source] | |
| zhoosh | style hair, tart up, mince |
| zhoosh our riah | style our hair |
| zhooshy | showy |
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]