Polari - The Lost Language of Gay MenPolari is a secret form of language mainly used by homosexual men in London and other cities during the twentieth century. Derived in part from the slang lexicons of numerous stigmatised and itinerant groups, Polari was also a means of socialising, acting out camp performances and reconstructing a shared gay identity and worldview among its speakers. This book examines the ways in which Polari was used in order to construct 'gay identities', linking its evolution to the changing status of gay men and lesbians in the UK over the past fifty years. |
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Common terms and phrases
adjective anti-language appears audience backslang Barry Took BBC Radio bona eke Boyz butch camp Cant Chapter charver closet construct context cruising derived describes dolly drag ducky East End effeminate English example existing fake female feminine French gay identity gay language Gay Liberation gay male gay slang gay subculture gender heterosexual homo homosexual Hugh Paddick interviewed Italian Julian and Sandy Kenneth Horne Kenneth Williams lallies language death language variety lattie lesbians Lingua Franca linguistic items London look mainstream society masculine meaning Mollies naff nanti noun ogle omee omee-palone oral sex original Palare palone Parlyaree penis perhaps phrase Polari lexicon Polari speakers Polari words Polari-speaking possible pronoun prostitutes queer Quentin Crisp refer Respondent rhyming slang riah Round the Horne sailors Sandy sketches sea queen sexual identity social someone spoken stereotypical talk Teacup trade troll vada verb version of Polari viewed West End zhoosh