Polari () is a form of

slang A slang is a vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in everyday conversation but avoided in formal writing and speech. It also often refers to the language exclusively used by the members of pa ...

cant CANT may refer to: *CANT, a solo project from Grizzly Bear bass guitarist and producer, Chris Taylor. *Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini CANT (''Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini'', the Trieste Shipbuilding and Naval Aeronautics; also ...

historically used primarily in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

by some actors, circus and fairground performers,

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

s, merchant navy sailors,

criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

s and

prostitutes Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-p ...

, and particularly among the

gay subculture Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures are subcultures and communities composed of people who have shared experiences, backgrounds, or interests due to common sexual or gender identities. Among the first to argue that members of sexual m ...

. There is some debate about its origins, but it can be traced to at least the 19th century and possibly as early as the 16th century. Polari has a long-standing connection with

Punch and Judy Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Mr Punch and one other ...

street puppeteers, who traditionally used it to converse.

Terminology

Alternative spellings include ''Parlare'', ''Parlary'', ''Palare'', ''Palarie'' and ''Palari''.

Description

Polari is a mixture of Romance (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

British Spies: Licensed to be Gay
" ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

''. 19 August 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2018. or

Mediterranean Lingua Franca The Mediterranean Lingua Franca, or Sabir, was a contact language, or languages, that were used as a lingua franca in the Mediterranean basin from the 11th to the 19th centuries. April McMahon describes Sabir as a "fifteenth century proto-pid ...

Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnic groups * Romani people, or Roma, an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin ** Romani language, an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities ** Romanichal, Romani subgroup in the United Kingdom * Romanians (Romanian ...

rhyming slang Rhyming slang is a form of slang word construction in the English language. It is especially prevalent among Cockneys in England, and was first used in the early 19th century in the East End of London; hence its alternative name, Cockney rhymin ...

, sailors' slang and

thieves' cant Thieves' cant (also known as thieves' argot, rogues' cant, or peddler's French) is a cant (language), cant, cryptolect, or argot which was formerly used by thieves, beggars, and hustlers of various kinds in Great Britain and to a lesser extent i ...

, which later expanded to contain words from

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

and 1960s

drug subculture Drug cultures are examples of countercultures that are primarily defined by spiritual, medical, and recreational drug use. They may be focused on a single drug, or endorse polydrug use. They sometimes eagerly or reluctantly initiate newcomers, ...

slang. It was constantly evolving, with a small core lexicon of about 20 words, including: ' (good), ' (nearby), ' (face), ' (bad, in the sense of tacky or vile), ' (bad, in the sense of drab or dull, though borrowed into mainstream British English with a meaning more like that of '), ' (room, house, flat), ' (not, no), ' (man), ' (woman), ' (hair), ' or ' (smarten up, stylise), ' ('to be had', sexually accessible), ' (sex) and ' (see). There were once two distinct forms of Polari in London: an East End version which stressed

Cockney Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...

rhyming slang and a West End version which stressed theatrical and classical influences. There was some interchange between the two. In the LGBTQ community, Polari also involves inverting gendered personal pronouns and names, typically switching them from male forms to female forms. For example, ''he'' may become ''she'' (known as '' she-ing''), and the name ''Paul'' may become ''Pauline''.

Usage

From the 19th century on, Polari was used in London fish markets, theatres, fairgrounds, and circuses, hence the many borrowings from

. As many homosexual men worked in theatrical entertainment, it was also used among the gay subculture to disguise homosexuals from hostile outsiders and

undercover police A covert operation or undercover operation is a military or police operation involving a covert agent or troops acting under an assumed cover to conceal the identity of the party responsible. US law Under US law, the Central Intelligence Age ...

men. It was also used extensively in the British Merchant Navy, where many gay men worked as waiters, stewards, and entertainers. Although

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

used the term ''bona'' (good, attractive) in ''

Henry IV, Part 2 ''Henry IV, Part 2'' is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by '' Richard II'' and ''Henry IV, Part 1'' and succeeded by '' Henry V''. The p ...

'' as part of the expression ''bona roba'' (a woman wearing an attractive outfit), "little written evidence of Polari before the 1890s" exists according to ''Oxford English Dictionary'' associate editor

Peter Gilliver Peter Gilliver (born 14 June 1964) is a lexicographer and associate editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. Career Gilliver's parents were both linguists. He attended Barnard Castle School, and has a degree in Mathematics from Jesus College, ...

. The dictionary's entry for ''rozzer'' (policeman) includes a quote from P. H. Emerson's 1893 book ''Signor Lippo – Burnt Cork Artiste'': "If the rozzers was to see him in bona clobber they'd take him for a gun" ("If the police were to see him dressed in this fine manner, they would know that he is a thief"). The almost identical ''Parlyaree'' has been spoken in fairgrounds since at least the 17th century and is still used by show travellers in England and Scotland. As theatrical booths, circus acts, and menageries were once common parts of European fairs, it is likely that the roots of Polari/Parlyaree lie in the period before both theatre and circus became independent of fairgrounds. The Parlyaree spoken on fairgrounds tends to borrow much more from Romani, as well as other languages and cants spoken by travelling people, such as thieves' cant and

back slang Back slang is an English coded language in which the written word is spoken phonetically backwards. Usage Back slang is thought to have originated in Victorian England. It was used mainly by market sellers, such as butchers and greengrocers, ...

Henry Mayhew Henry Mayhew (25 November 1812 – 25 July 1887) was an English journalist, playwright, and advocate of reform. He was one of the co-founders of the satirical magazine '' Punch'' in 1841, and was the magazine's joint editor, with Mark Lemon, in ...

gave an account of Polari as part of an interview with a

showman in the 1850s. The discussion he recorded references Punch's arrival in England, crediting these early shows to an Italian performer called Porcini (

John Payne Collier John Payne Collier (11 January 178917 September 1883) was an English writer and scholar. He was well known for publishing many books on Shakespeare. However, his reputation has declined as a result of the Perkins Folio forgery. Reporter and soli ...

's account calls him Porchini, a literal rendering of the Italian pronunciation). Mayhew provides the following: There are additional accounts of particular words that relate to puppet performance: "'' – figures, frame, scenes, properties. '' – call, or unknown tongue" ("unknown" is a reference to the "

swazzle A swazzle (swozzle, schwazzle or swatchel) is a device made of two strips of metal bound around a cotton tape reed (music), reed. The device is used to produce the distinctive harsh, rasping voice of Punch in a Punch and Judy show, and is held in ...

", a voice modifier used by Punch performers).

Decline

Polari had begun to fall into disuse among the gay subculture by the late 1960s. The popularity of the BBC radio comedy ''

Round the Horne ''Round the Horne'' is a BBC Radio comedy programme starring Kenneth Horne, first transmitted in four series of weekly episodes from 1965 until 1968. The show was created by Barry Took and Marty Feldman, who wrote the first three series. The f ...

'', with its

camp Camp may refer to: Areas of confinement, imprisonment, or for execution * Concentration camp, an internment camp for political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or minority ethnic groups * Extermination ...

gay characters

Julian and Sandy Julian and Sandy were characters on the BBC radio comedy programme '' Round the Horne'' from 1965 to 1968 and were played by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams respectively, with scripts written by Barry Took and Marty Feldman. According to a ...

, ensured that some of the Polari terms they used became public knowledge. The need for a secret means of communication in the subculture also declined with the partial decriminalisation of adult homosexual acts in England and Wales under the

Sexual Offences Act 1967 The Sexual Offences Act 1967 (c. 60) is an act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It legalised homosexual acts in England and Wales, on the condition that they were consensual, in private and between two men who had attained the age of 21. ...

; in the 1970s, the

gay liberation The gay liberation movement was a social and political movement of the late 1960s through the mid-1980s in the Western world, that urged lesbians and gay men to engage in radical direct action, and to counter societal shame with gay pride.Hoff ...

movement began to view Polari as old-fashioned and perpetuating harmful camp stereotypes.

Mainstream usage

A number of words from Polari have entered mainstream slang. The list below includes words in general use with the meanings listed: ''acdc'', ''barney'', ''blag'', ''butch'', ''camp'', ''khazi'', ''cottaging'', ''hoofer'', ''mince'', ''ogle'', ''scarper'', ''slap'', ''strides'', ''tod'', '' oughtrade''. The Polari word ', meaning inferior or tacky, has an uncertain etymology.

Michael Quinion Michael Brian Quinion (born ) is a British etymologist and writer. He ran World Wide Words, a website devoted to linguistics. He graduated from Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he studied physical sciences and after which he joined BBC radio as a s ...

says it is probably from the 16th-century Italian word ', meaning "a despicable person". There are a number of

false etymologies A false etymology (fake etymology or pseudo-etymology) is a false theory about the origin or derivation of a specific word or phrase. When a false etymology becomes a popular belief in a cultural/linguistic community, it is a folk etymology (or po ...

, many based on

backronym A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...

s—"Not Available For Fucking", "Normal As Fuck", etc. The phrase "naff off" was used

euphemistically A euphemism ( ) is when an expression that could offend or imply something unpleasant is replaced with one that is agreeable or inoffensive. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the u ...

in place of "fuck off" along with the

intensifier In linguistics, an intensifier (abbreviated ) is a lexical category (but ''not'' a traditional part of speech) for a modifier that makes no contribution to the propositional meaning of a clause but serves to enhance and give additional emotional ...

"naffing" in

Keith Waterhouse Keith Spencer Waterhouse Order of British Empire, CBE (6 February 1929 – 4 September 2009) was a British novelist and newspaper columnist and the writer of many television series. He was also a noted arbiter of newspaper style and journalisti ...

's ''

Billy Liar ''Billy Liar'' is a 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse that was later adapted into a play, a Billy Liar (film), film, a Billy (musical), musical and a Billy Liar (TV series), TV series. The work has inspired and been featured in a number of popul ...

'' (1959). ''p35'' "Naff off, Stamp, for Christ sake!" ''p46'' "Well which one of them's got the naffing engagement ring?" Usage of "naff" increased in the 1970s when the

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

Porridge Porridge is a food made by heating, soaking or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, fruit, or syrup to make a sweet cereal ...

'' employed it as an alternative to expletives which were not broadcastable at the time.

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...

allegedly told a reporter to "naff off" at the Badminton horse trials in April 1982. However, the photographers who were present have since stated that this was a censored version of what she actually said. "" (; alternatively spelled "," "," and a number of other variety spellings), meaning to smarten up, style or improve something, became commonplace in the mid-2000s, having been used in the 2003 United States TV series ''

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy ''Queer Eye'' is an American reality television series that premiered on the Bravo (American TV network), Bravo network in July 2003, initially broadcast as ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. The series was created by executive producers David ...

'' and '' What Not to Wear''. "", an alternative spelling of the word, was popularised by drag queen

Jasmine Masters Martell Robinson (born October 16, 1976), known by the stage name Jasmine Diane Masters, best known simply as Jasmine Masters, is an American drag queen, internet celebrity, YouTuber, and stand-up comedian. He is best known for competing on the ...

after her appearance on the seventh series of

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...

in 2015.

Legacy and revival

Since the late 20th and early 21st century, there has been a renewed interest in Polari, especially as a part of LGBTQ+ heritage. Gay's the Word has held workshops in Polari, the

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (SPI), also called Order of Perpetual Indulgence (OPI), is a charitable, protest, and street performance movement that uses drag and religious imagery to satirize issues of sex, gender, and morality (particular ...

have translated the Bible into Polari, and Madame Jo Jo's nightclub in Soho taught its staff to speak Polari. Linguist Paul Baker attributes increased interest in Polari primarily to the growing body of academic work on the subject. Author George Reiner explains that "the revival of a language like Polari offers the possibility of an alternate queer linguistic space" at a time when closing LGBTQ+ venues and dating apps have reduced queer social spaces. In 2007, writer and activist

Paul Burston Paul Burston is a Welsh journalist and author. He worked for the London gay policing group GALOP and was an activist with ACT UP before moving into journalism. He edited, for some years, the LGBT section of '' Time Out'' and founded the Polar ...

launched Polari Literary Salon in London to platform LGBTQ+ writers. He launched the

Polari First Book Prize The Polari Prize is an annual UK literary prize for LGBTQ+ literature. Established by Paul Burston Paul Burston is a Welsh journalist and author. He worked for the London gay policing group GALOP and was an activist with ACT UP before moving ...

in 2011. This was followed by the Polari Prize for LGBTQ+ writers at all stages of their career in 2019 and the Polari Children's & YA Prize in 2022. Other organisations have also taken names inspired by Polari, such as ''Polari Magazine'', ''Vada Magazine'', and VADA LGBTQ Community Theatre Company. In 2012 and 2013, Manchester artists Jez Dolan and Joe Richardson presented a performance-based tour and exhibition titled ''Polari Mission'', which explored LGBTQ+ history and language use in the UK. This was presented at The John Rylands Library and

Contact Theatre Contact is an arts organisation based in Manchester, England. Established in 1972, as a center for young artists to create and learn, the theatre remains in its original building and is a part of the Arts Council England, the University of Man ...

. In 2015, Dolan also translated sections of the 1957 Wolfenden Report into Polari for a commission from the UK Parliament. Dolan and Richardson also worked with Paul Baker to produce a 500-word dictionary of Polari as an app. In December 2016, to launch LGBT+ History Month 2017 and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, poet Adam Lowe performed his Polari poem "Vada That" in Parliament's

Speaker's House Speaker's House is the official residence of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the lower house and primary chamber of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is located in the Palace of Westminster in London. It was originally located next ...

with accompaniment by musician Nikki Franklin. In 2017, a service at

Westcott House, Cambridge Westcott House is an Anglican theological college based on Jesus Lane in the centre of the University of Cambridge, university city of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.Westcott House website, Home pag Retrieved on August 27, 2006. Its main activit ...

was conducted in Polari. Trainee priests held the service to commemorate

LGBT History Month LGBTQ History Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher ...

; following media attention,

Chris Chivers Christopher Mark "Chris" Chivers (born 16 July 1967) is an Anglican priest, composer, and author. From 2015 until 2019, he was the Principal of Westcott House, Cambridge, an Anglican theological college in the Liberal Catholic tradition. Early ...

, the principal, expressed his regret. In 2019,

Reaktion Books Reaktion Books is an independent book publisher based in Islington, London, England. It was founded in 1985 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and moved to London in 1987. Reaktion originally focused on the fields of art, architecture, and design. In recen ...

published Paul Baker's third book on Polari, ''Fabulosa!: The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language''. His first two books on the subject (''Polari: Fantabulosa: A Dictionary of Polari and Gay Slang'' and ''Polari: The Lost Language of Gay Men'') were published in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

In popular culture

* Polari (spelt "Polare") was popularised on the 1960s BBC radio show ''

''. The

gay Polari-speaking characters

were played by

Hugh Paddick Hugh William Paddick (22 August 1915 – 9 November 2000) was an English actor. He starred in the 1960s BBC radio show ''Round the Horne'', performing in sketches such as "Charles and Fiona" (as Charles) and " Julian and Sandy" (as Julian). He an ...

and

Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was a British actor and comedian. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 ''Carry ...

. * In the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' serial ''

Carnival of Monsters ''Carnival of Monsters'' is the second serial of the tenth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 27 January to 17 February 1973. In the serial, set o ...

'' (1973), Vorg, a showman, attempts to converse with the Doctor in Polari. * Ralph Filthy, a

theatrical agent A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds work for actors, authors, broadcast journalists, film directors, musicians, models, professional athletes, screenwriters, writers, dancers, and other professionals in various entertainment ...

played by

Nigel Planer Nigel George Planer (born 22 February 1953) is a British actor, writer and musician. His television credits include playing Neil in the sitcom '' The Young Ones'' and Ralph Filthy in the sitcom '' Filthy Rich & Catflap'', as well as narrating th ...

in the BBC TV series ''

Filthy Rich & Catflap ''Filthy Rich & Catflap'' is a BBC sitcom produced in 1986 and broadcast in 1987. The series featured former '' The Young Ones'' co-stars Nigel Planer, Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson as its three titular characters. It was written by Ben Elton ...

'', regularly used Polari. * In 1990

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...

released the single "

Piccadilly Palare "Piccadilly Palare" is a song by the English singer Morrissey, released as a single in October 1990 by His Master's Voice. The song features one of Morrissey's former colleagues from the Smiths, Andy Rourke on bass guitar, marking the last time an ...

" containing a number of lyrics in Polari and exploring a subculture in which Polari was used. "Piccadilly Palare" later appeared on his compilation album ''

Bona Drag ''Bona Drag'' is a compilation album by the English singer Morrissey, released on 15 October 1990 by His Master's Voice. The album features an array of Morrissey's most popular songs from his early solo career, most of which had not been releas ...

'', whose title is also taken from Polari. * In ''

Doom Patrol Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appear ...

'',

Danny the Street Danny the Street is a fictional comic book character appearing in comics by the American publisher DC Comics. Danny is a living and sentient piece of urban geography who can magically and seamlessly place himself in any urban landscape at will wit ...

often speaks Polari. * In his 1995 novel ''Behind Closed Doors'', ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'' creator

Tony Warren Anthony McVay Simpson (8 July 1936 – 1 March 2016), publishing under the pen name Tony Warren, was an English television screenwriter and actor, best known for creating the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. He created other television dra ...

depicts his characters using Polari on the

gay scene The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individua ...

of 1950s Manchester. * In the 1998 film ''

Velvet Goldmine ''Velvet Goldmine'' is a 1998 musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes from a story by Haynes and James Lyons. It is set in Britain during the glam rock days of the early 1970s, and tells the story of fictional bisexual pop star ...

'', two characters speak Polari in a London nightclub. The scene has English subtitles in the American release of the film. *In 2015, Brian Fairbairn and Karl Eccleston made a short film, "Putting on the Dish", which features a conversation entirely in Polari. *In 2018, George Reiner and Penny Burkett, published ''cruising for lavs'', written mostly in Polari. * In 2019, the first opera in Polari, ''

The Sins of the Cities of the Plain ''The Sins of the Cities of the Plain; or, The Recollections of a Mary-Ann, with Short Essays on Sodomy and Tribadism'', by the pseudonymous " Jack Saul", is one of the first exclusively homosexual works of pornographic literature published in E ...

'' (based on the book of the same title), premiered at Espacio Turina in

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

, Spain. The

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

was written in Polari by librettist and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

Fabrizio Funari and the music is by Germán Alonso. * The same year, the English-language localisation of the Japanese video game '' Dragon Quest Builders 2'' included a character called Jules, who spoke in Polari with non-standard capitalisation. * In the 2020 film '' Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse'', a young

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

runs away from home and meets "a silver-tongued, Polari-speaking eccentric who may be a figment of the boy's imagination" played by

Bill Bailey Mark Robert Bailey (born 13 January 1965), known professionally as Bill Bailey, is an English musician, comedian, actor and television presenter. He is known for his role as Manny in the sitcom '' Black Books'' (2000–2004), and for his regula ...

. *In 2023,

Peepal Tree Press Peepal Tree Press is a publisher based in Leeds, England which publishes Caribbean, Black British, and South Asian fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama and academic books. Poet Kwame Dawes has said: "Peepal Tree Press's position as the leading pu ...

published Adam Lowe's debut poetry collection ''Patterflash'', which features a number of Polari poems. The title is translated in the book's glossary as "Gossip, chat, ostentatious or pretentious speech; the lyrics pouring out of my gob". *In the fourth episode of ''

Funny Woman ''Funny Woman'' is a British drama television series directed by Oliver Parker and adapted for the screen by Morwenna Banks from the best-selling novel '' Funny Girl'' by Nick Hornby. It stars Gemma Arterton with an ensemble cast including ...

'' (2024), characters discuss BBC Radio using Polari in ''

'' and visit a comedy club where gay and entertainment-industry characters converse in Polari. * British singer

Olly Alexander Oliver Alexander Thornton (born 15 July 1990) is an English singer, actor and List of LGBTQ rights activists, LGBTQ activist who rose to prominence as the lead singer of the English pop band Years & Years, who achieved two No. 1 albums on the U ...

released his debut album ''

Polari Polari () is a form of slang or Cant (language), cant historically used primarily in the United Kingdom by some actors, circus and fairground performers, professional wrestlers, merchant navy sailors, criminals and prostitutes, and particula ...

'' on 7 February 2025.

Glossary

Numbers: Some words or phrases that may derive from Polari (this is an incomplete list): {, class=wikitable , - ! Word ! Definition , - , , , , bisexual , - , , , nearby (shortened form of "adjacent to") , - , , , they're attractive! (via

acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...

"LMO" meaning "Lick Me Out!")w , - , , , to have sex (from Italian ''chiavare'', to screw) , - , , , listen! , - , , , ears , - , , , earrings , - , , , a fight , - , , , , , shoes , - , ''bevvy'', , drink (diminutive of "beverage") , - , , , effeminate or passive gay man , - , , , small/little (from French, jewel) , - , , , whore (French ') , - , , , sexually pick up , - , , , homosexual , - , , , good , - , , , goodnight (from Italian – ') , - , , , masculine; masculine lesbian , - , , , a drink; something drinkable (from Italian – ' or old-fashioned Italian – ' or Lingua Franca ''bevire'') , - , , , talk/gossip , - , , , effeminate (possibly from Italian ' or ' "emphasise, make stand out") (possibly from the phrase 'camp follower' those itinerants who followed behind the men in uniform/highly decorative dress) , - , , , , , , hat (from Italian – ') , - , , , , , house or a toilet , - , , , penis (from Italian – ') , - , , , trousers , - , ''charper'', , to search or to look (from Italian ''acchiappare'', to catch) , - , ''charpering omi'', , policeman , - , ''charver'', , sexual intercourse , - , ''

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

'', , young man , - , ''clevie'', , vaginaGrose, Francis (2012). ''1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.'' tebbo. , - , ''clobber'', , clothes , - , ''cod'', , bad , - , ''corybungus'', , backside, posterior , - , ''cottage'', , a public lavatory used for sexual encounters (public lavatories in British parks and elsewhere were often built in the style of a Tudor cottag

, - , ''

cottaging Cottaging is a LGBT slang, gay slang term, originating from the United Kingdom, referring to anonymous sex between men in a public lavatory (a "cottage" or "tea-room"Andre "tearoom; t-room ''noun'' a Washroom, public toilet. From an era when a grea ...

'', , seeking or obtaining sexual encounters in public lavatories , - , ''cove'', , taxi , - , ''dhobi'' / ''dhobie'' / ''dohbie'', , wash (from Hindi, ''dohb'') , - , ''Dilly boy'', , a male prostitute, from Piccadilly boy , - , ''Dilly, the'', , Piccadilly circus, a place where cruising went on , - , ''dinari'', , money (Latin 'denarii' was the 'd' of the pre decimal penny. This word is cognate with the Spanish word 'dinero' also meaning money) , - , ''dish'', , buttocks , - , ''dolly'', , pretty, nice, pleasant, (from Irish ''dóighiúil''/Scottish Gaelic ''dòigheil'', handsome, pronounced 'doil') , - , ''dona'', , woman (perhaps from Italian ''donna'' or Lingua Franca ''dona'') , - , ''ecaf'', , face (backslang) , - , ''eek/eke'', , face (abbreviation of ecaf) , - , ''ends'', , hair , - , ''esong'', ''sedon'', , nose (backslang) , - , ''fambles'', , hands , - , ''fantabulosa'', , fabulous/wonderful , - , ''farting crackers'', , trousers , - , ''feele'' / ''feely'' / ''filly'', , child/young (from the Italian ''figlio,'' for son) , - , ''feele omi'' / ''feely omi'', , young man , - , ''flowery'', , lodgings, accommodations , - , ''fogus'', , tobacco , - , ''fortuni'', , gorgeous, beautiful , - , ''

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

'', , gay man , - , ''funt'', , pound £ (Yiddish) , - , ''fungus'', , old man/beard , - , ''gelt'', , money (Yiddish) , - , ''handbag'', , money , - , ''hoofer'', , dancer , - , ''HP'' (''homy palone''), , gay man, especially an effeminate one , - , ''irish'', , wig (from rhyming slang, "Irish jig") , - , ''jarry'', , food, also ''mangarie'' (from Italian ''mangiare'' or Lingua Franca ''mangiaria'') , - , ''jubes'', , breasts , - , ''kaffies'', , trousers , - , ''lacoddy, lucoddy'', , body , - , ''lallies'' / ''lylies'', , legs, sometimes also knees (as in "get down on yer lallies") , - , ''lallie tappers'', , feet , - , ''latty'' / ''lattie'', , room, house or flat , - , ''lau'' , , lay or place upon , - , ''lavs'', , words (Irish: ''labhairt'' to speak) , - , ''lills'', , hands , - , ''lilly'', , police (Lilly Law) , - , ''lyles'', , legs (prob. from "Lisle stockings") , - , ''luppers'', , fingers (from Yiddish ''lapa'' – paw) , - , ''mangarie'', , food, also ''jarry'' (from Italian ''mangiare'' or Lingua Franca ''mangiaria'') , - , ''manky'', , worthless, dirty (from Italian ''mancare'' – "to be lacking") , - , ''martinis'', , hands , - , ''measures'', , money , - , ''medzered'', , divided , - , ''meese'', , plain, ugly (from

''mieskeit'', in turn from Hebrew מָאוּס repulsive, loathsome, despicable, abominable) , - , ''meshigener'', , nutty, crazy, mental (from

' meshugge', in turn from Hebrew מְשֻׁגָּע crazy) , - , ''meshigener carsey'', , church , - , ''metzas'', , money (from Italian ''mezzi'', "means, wherewithal") , - , ''mince'', , walk affectedly , - , ''mollying'', , involved in the act of sex , - , ''mogue'', , deceive , - , ''munge'', , darkness , - , ''

naff Naff or NAFF may refer to: People: * William E. Naff, an American scholar of Japanese language * Lycia Naff, actress * D-Naff (born 1974), a Namibian award-winning Gospel rapper, and a former street gangster * Petty Naff, a notorious rowdy of ...

'', , awful, dull, hetero , - , ''nana / nanna'', , awful , - , ''nanti'', , not, no, none (from Italian, ''niente'') , - , ''national handbag'', , dole, welfare, government financial assistance , - , ''nishta'', , nothing from yiddish nishto נישטא meaning nothing , - , ''ogle'', , look admiringly , - , ''ogles'', , eyes , - , ''oglefakes'', , glasses , - , ''omi'', , man (from Romance) , - , ''onk'', , nose (from "conk") , - , ''orbs'', , eyes , - , ''orderly daughters'', , police , - , ''oven'', , mouth (nanti pots in the oven = no teeth in the mouth) , - , ''palare'' / ''polari pipe'', , telephone ("talk pipe") , - , ''palliass'', , back , - , ''park,'' ''parker'', , give , - , ''plate'', , feet (Cockney rhyming slang "plates of meat"); to fellate , - , ''palone'', , woman (Italian ''paglione'' – "straw mattress"; cf. old Cant ''hay-bag'' – "woman"); also spelled "polony" in

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

's 1938 novel '' Brighton Rock'' , - , ''palone-omi'', , lesbian , - , ''pots'', , teeth , - , ''quongs'', , testicles , - , ''reef'', , touch , - , ''remould'', , sex change , - , ''rozzer'', , policeman , - , ''riah'' / ''riha'', , hair (backslang) , - , ''riah zhoosher'', , hairdresser , - , ''

rough trade Rough Trade may refer to: *Rough Trade (shops), London record stores *Rough Trade Records, a record label from the stores *Rough Trade Books, a publishing house from the label *Rough Trade (band), a Canadian new wave rock band * "Rough Trade" (''Am ...

'', , a working class or blue collar sex partner or potential sex partner; a tough, thuggish or potentially violent sex partner , - , ''scarper'', , to run off (from Italian ''scappare'', to escape or run away or from rhyming slang Scapa Flow, to go) , - , ''scharda'', , shame (from German ''schade'', "a shame" or "a pity") , - , ''schlumph'', , drink , - , ''schmutter'', , apparel from Yiddish shmatte שמאטע meaning rag , - , ''schooner'', , bottle , - , ''scotch'', , leg (scotch egg=leg) , - , ''screech'', , mouth, speak , - , ''screeve'', , write (either from Irish ''scríobh''/Scottish Gaelic ''sgrìobh'', Scots ''scrieve'' to write or italian 'scrivere' meaning to write) , - , ''sharpy'', , policeman (from – charpering omi) , - , ''sharpy polone'', , policewoman , - , ''shush'', , steal (from client) , - , ''shush bag'', , hold-all , - , ''shyker'' / ''shyckle'', , wig (mutation of the Yiddish ''

sheitel According to halacha (Jewish religious law), married Jewish women are expected to cover their hair when in the presence of men other than their husband or close family members. Such covering is common practice among Orthodox Jewish women. Differ ...

'') , - , ''slap'', , makeup , - , ''so'', , homosexual (e.g. "Is he 'so'?") , - , ''stimps'', , legs , - , ''stimpcovers'', , stockings, hosiery , - , ''strides'', , trousers , - , ''strillers'', , piano , - , ''switch'', , wig , - , ''TBH'' (''to be had''), , prospective sexual conquest , - , ''thews'', , thighs , - , ''tober'', , road (a

Shelta Shelta (; Irish: ) is a language spoken by Irish Travellers (), particularly in Ireland and the United Kingdom. It is also widely known as the Cant, known to its native speakers in Ireland as or , and known to the academic or professional li ...

word, Irish ''bóthar''); temporary site for a circus, carnival , - , '' todd (Sloan)'' or ''tod'', , alone , - , ''tootsie trade'', , sex between two passive or feminine homosexuals (as in: 'I don't do tootsie trade') , - , ''

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...

'', , sex, sex-partner, potential sex-partner , - , ''

troll A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...

'', , to walk about (esp. looking for trade) , - , ''vada'' / ''varder'', , to see (from Italian dialect ''vardare'' = ''guardare'' – look at) , - , ''vera'' (''lynn''), , gin , - , ''vogue'', , cigarette (from Lingua Franca ''fogus'' – "fire, smoke") , - , ''vogueress'', , female smoker , - , ''wallop'', , dance , - , ''willets'', , breasts , - , ''yeute'', , no, none{{ , - , ''yews'', , (from French "yeux") eyes , - , ''zhoosh'', , style, improve, clothes(cf. Romani ''zhouzho'' – "clean, neat") , - , ''zhooshy'', , showy

Usage examples

''Omies and palones of the

jury A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence, make Question of fact, findings of fact, and render an impartiality, impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a sentence (law), penalty or Judgmen ...

, vada well at the eek of the poor ome who stands before you, his lallies trembling.'' – taken from "Bona Law", one of the

sketches from ''

Round The Horne ''Round the Horne'' is a BBC Radio comedy programme starring Kenneth Horne, first transmitted in four series of weekly episodes from 1965 until 1968. The show was created by Barry Took and Marty Feldman, who wrote the first three series. The f ...

'', written by

Barry Took Barry Took (19 June 192831 March 2002) was an English writer, television presenter and comedian. His decade-and-a-half writing partnership with Marty Feldman led to the television series '' Bootsie and Snudge'', the radio comedy ''Round the Hor ...

and

Marty Feldman Martin Alan Feldman (8 July 1934 – 2 December 1982) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was known for his exophthalmos, prominent, strabismus, misaligned eyes. He initially gained prominence as a writer with Barry Took on th ...

:Translation: "Men and women of the jury, look well at the face of the poor man who stands before you, his legs trembling." ''So bona to vada...oh you! Your lovely eek and your lovely riah.'' – taken from "Piccadilly Palare", a song by

:Translation: "So good to see...oh you! Your lovely face and your lovely hair." ''As feely ommes...we would zhoosh our riah, powder our eeks, climb into our bona new drag, don our batts and troll off to some bona bijou bar. In the bar we would stand around with our sisters, vada the bona cartes on the butch omme ajax who, if we fluttered our ogle riahs at him sweetly, might just troll over to offer a light for the unlit vogue clenched between our teeth.'' – taken from ''Parallel Lives'', the memoirs of renowned gay journalist

Peter Burton Peter Ray Burton (4 April 1921 – 21 November 1989) was an English film and television actor. Early life Peter Ray Burton, was born in Bromley, Kent, to Frederick Ray Burton and Gladys Maude (née Frazer). Career Burton played Major Boothr ...

:Translation: "As young men...we would style our hair, powder our faces, climb into our great new clothes, don our shoes and wander/walk off to some great little bar. In the bar we would stand around with our gay companions, look at the great genitals on the butch man nearby who, if we fluttered our eyelashes at him sweetly, might just wander/walk over to offer a light for the unlit

cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into Rolling paper, thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhale ...

clenched between our teeth." In the ''

Are You Being Served? ''Are You Being Served?'' is a British television sitcom that was broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was created and written by David Croft (TV producer), David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd. Croft also served as executive producer and television directo ...

'' episode "The Old Order Changes", Captain Peacock asks Mr Humphries to get "some strides for the omi with the naff riah" (i.e., trousers for the fellow with the unstylish hair).{{cite episode, title=The Old Order Changes, series=Are You Being Served?, date=18 March 1977

References

{{Reflist

Bibliography

* {{cite book , last=Baker , first=Paul , year=2002 , title=Fantabulosa: A Dictionary of Polari and Gay Slang , location=London , publisher=Continuum , isbn=0-8264-5961-7 , url=https://archive.org/details/fantabulosadicti0000bake * {{cite book , last=Baker , first=Paul , title=Polari: The Lost Language of Gay Men , year=2003 , publisher=Routledge , location=London, isbn=978-1-134-50635-4 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kXmBAgAAQBAJ * {{cite book , last1=Baker , first1=Paul , title=Fabulosa!: The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language , date=2019 , publisher=Reaktion Books , location=London , isbn=978-1-78914-168-9 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vxWbDwAAQBAJ , language=en * {{cite book , last1=Elmes , first1=Simon , last2=Rosen , first2=Michael , author2-link=Michael Rosen , year=2002 , title=Word of Mouth , location=Oxford , publisher=Oxford University Press , isbn=0-19-866263-7

External links

{{Wiktionary category, category=English Polari slang *
The Polari Bible compiled by The Manchester Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412030259/http://www.polaribible.org/ , date=12 April 2016
Polari Mission exhibit
(archived) at the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

John Rylands Library The John Rylands Research Institute and Library is a Victorian era, late-Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, neo-Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester, England. It is part of the University of Manchester. The library, which opened to t ...

Colin Richardson, ''The Guardian'', 17 January 2005, "What brings you trolling back, then?"

Liverpool Museums: The secret language of polari
(archived)
Paul Clevett's Polari Translator
* ''Putting it on the Dish'', a 2015 short film featuring Polari extensively
A brief history of Polari: the curious after-life of the dead language for gay men
8 February 2017.

based on Paul Baker's glossary and dictionary {{LGBT topics in the United Kingdom {{Authority control English language in England English-based argots English language in London British slang LGBTQ culture in the United Kingdom Gay working-class culture LGBTQ argots LGBTQ slang