Learn Polari, the Secret Language of the Gays

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Polari is a secret language, or cryptolect, that served to help gay men England munite, and remas surprisgly fluential today.

Contents:

POLARI: THE LANGUAGE GAY MEN ED TO SURVIVE

* secret gay language uk *

”That may seem like a strg of nonsense words om Dr Sss’s The Cat the Hat or Anthony Burgs’s A Clockwork Orange but ’s a real-life greetg gay men the UK would say to each other the 1950s and 60s. To avoid imprisonment, gay men ed Polari, a language that the Oxford English Dictnary says is “ma up of Italianate phras, rhymg slang and nt terms.

Vada (“look at”), dolly eek (a pretty face), and chicken (a young guy) are all words om the lexin of Polari, a secret language ed by gay men Bra at a time when homosexualy was illegal.

THIS SECRET LANGUAGE ALLOWED GAY MEN TO COMMUNITE WHEN HOMOSEXUALY WAS ILLEGAL

Heavily ed by Brish gays the 1920s bee of anti-homosexual laws, efforts are beg ma to prerve an entirely queer-based slang. * secret gay language uk *

In the 1930s was spoken among the theater typ of the Wt End, om which crossed over to the cy’s gay pubs, gag s stat as the secret language of gay men. In England, homosexualy was officially nsired a crime until 1967, when the Sexual Offenc Act legalized private “homosexual acts” between nsentg adults over 21.

THE FOTTEN SECRET LANGUAGE OF GAY MEN

Until 1967 the UK, homosexualy was illegal, and gay men ed a secret language to be able to munite wh one another and rema untected. This is the story of the secret language of Polari * secret gay language uk *

) The Act me a after the ernment’s Wolfenn Report, which igned bate by remendg the partial crimalizatn of homosexual acts. Durg the terim years, when beg openly non-straight brought the risks of social isolatn and crimal prosecutn, Polari provid gay men wh a subtle way to fd one another for pannship and sex. The Hidn History of Gay Life at Sea, Pl Baker and Jo Stanley wre that Polari played a role “allowg gay men to nstct a humoroly performative inty for themselv.

In the late ‘60s, as gay liberatn groups were fightg for regnn and equaly, Polari h mastream Brish pop-culture the form of Julian and Sandy, two flamboyant, not-officially-but-pretty-obvly gay characters on a BBC rad show lled Round the Horne. Julian and Sandy prented a nundm: as lovable gay characters on a very popular show, they enared themselv to Brish dienc an era of homophobia. By the early ‘70s, as LGBT groups fought for rights beyond those granted by the 1967 Sexual Offenc Act, the image of the mp gay man had bee the target of ire.

THE SECRET GAY LANGUAGE YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF...

The word "ferridooza" is a perfect example of how Polari, a secret language for gay men, was created out of many subculture dialects. * secret gay language uk *

Many who were lobbyg for sexual equaly, says Dolan, “felt was about gay people prentg themselv as jt ordary folks. When Ecclton and Fairbairn posted the film onle, they were surprised by the enthiastic rponse—and the level of fascatn wh Polari, this myster, cipherable “gay language. “The kds of nts still exist where opprsn is still entrenched, ” says Ecclton, cg Swardspeak, a language based on English and Tagalog that is ed among gay men the Philipp.

Given s associatns wh stereotypil reprentatns of gay men, Polari may not seem to have a place the 21st century. But the backlash agast mp has mellowed—’s not the way to be gay, but ’s one way among many. Dolan brgs up the pot that gay men shouldn’t have to be “straight-actg” orr to be accepted: “Might not be more fun to embrace a b more mp and actually have fun wh ourselv and wh each other?

NOT ENTIRELY BORGSUBSCRIBESIGN {"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","URL":","MAENTYOFPAGE":","HEADLE":"THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF POLARI","SCRIPTN":"UNTIL 1967 THE UK, HOMOSEXUALY WAS ILLEGAL, AND GAY MEN ED A SECRET LANGUAGE TO BE ABLE TO MUNITE WH ONE ANOTHER AND REMA UNTECTED. THIS IS THE STORY OF THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF POLARI","IMAGE":[{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":"}],"DATEPUBLISHED":"2023-02-04T10:26:26+00:00","DATEMODIFIED":"2023-02-04T10:26:26+00:00","ISACCSIBLEFORFREE":TE,"THOR":[{"@TYPE":"PERSON","NAME":"ANTHONY JOHN","URL":","SCRIPTN":"SUBSCRIBE FOR A WEEKLY DOSE OF THROUGH-PROVOKG AND SPIRG ARTICL, VIOS AND BOOKS THAT HELP YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH LIFE - OR JT GET THROUGH THE DAILY GRD. NEWSLETTER DROPS EVERY SUNDAY! ","INTIFIER":"ER:111982850","IMAGE":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"}}],"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"NOT ENTIRELY BORG","URL":","SCRIPTN":"A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF STUFF THAT'S NOT ENTIRELY BORG; TECH, BOOKS, MOVI, TV, MIC, NEWS AND ANYTHG ELSE THAT'S NOT CRYPTO.","TERACTNSTATISTIC":{"@TYPE":"INTERACTNCOUNTER","NAME":"SUBSCRIBERS","TERACTNTYPE":","ERINTERACTNCOUNT":10},"INTIFIER":"PUB:1354800","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"},"IMAGE":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"}}}SHARE THIS POSTTHE SECRET LANGUAGE OF COPY LKFACEBOOKEMAILNOTOTHERTHE SECRET LANGUAGE OF POLARI

Swardspeak is more than gay lgo—'s a mon bridge between the credible diversy of languag to be found the natn of islands. * secret gay language uk *

Before homosexualy was crimalised the UK 1967, the gay muny had to be a lot more discreet when me to fdg a partner, or even jt gossipg about a iend. Historilly, Polari wasn’t jt the chosen tongue of the reprsed gay muny; was very much a workg class language, too. By the 1930s, most Wt End luvvi had claimed the dialect as their own, which naturally led to s e the many secret gay bars around London.

FABULOSA! THE STORY OF POLARI, BRA’S SECRET GAY LANGUAGE

What is Polari? It's a slang associated wh gay men, ed more wily durg the days when male homosexualy was agast the law. * secret gay language uk *

It wasn’t until as recently as the 1990s that London had s first gay bar wh wdows you uld see to, fact fans. BBCFeaturg stacks of phemisms, Polari provid gay men a subtle but liberatg way of munitg wh others for pannship or sex, or jt havg a bch about her next door.

REDISVERG POLARI: HOW THIS GAY DIALECT IS A MAP OF FOTTEN SUBCULTUR

It was ls than fifty years ago Bra that engagg homosexual sex, lookg a b 'gay' or fallg love wh the wrong person ma you a were no legal protectns for gay people as there are now... If a gay person lled the police pre-1960s, the officer qutn may have arrted that person, focg on the homosexualy rather than the crime. Polari was the only way for the gay muny to munite at a time when thori were actively seekg to arrt and make exampl of high profile homosexuals.

SECRET GAY LANGUAGE POLARI GETS AN 'APPY RETURNIT WAS THE UNRGROUND LANGUAGE ED BY MEN TO PROTECT THEMSELV OM PREJUDICE THAT FOUND S WAY TO LIVG ROOMS AROUND BRA.MENBOOKMARKSHARENEWSBYMANCHTER EVENG NEWS12:13, 4 AUG 2012UPDATED17:41, 10 JAN 2013BOOKMARKSIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER TO GET THE DAY'S BIGGT STORI SENT DIRECT TO YOUR BOXMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER TO GET THE DAY'S BIGGT STORI SENT DIRECT TO YOUR BOXINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

Hugh Paddick and Kenh Williams starred as Julian and Sandy, a uple of mp, out-of-work actors who threw around Polari and sexual nuendos wh gay abandon.

A SECRET GAY LANGUAGE HAS GONE MASTREAM THE PHILIPP

MA stunt Sian Stenson wr about Ian Holdsworth’s event and talk on Polari, the ‘secret gay language of Bra’.

One such event you might have missed was Ian Holdsworth’s fascatg talk on Polari, the ‘secret gay language of Bra’. Before the legalisatn of homosexualy, beg able to intify and munite wh your LGBT peers through a secret language uld make the difference between life and ath – pecially for sex workers. A product of s time, there are some ls than palatable terms for women and people of lour, and for those not ftg gay male ials of the time.

HIDN PLA SIGHT: HOW GAY ARTISTS EXPRSED FORBIDN SIRE

Addnally, some people may tell you that ‘Queer History’ is no longer relevant, bee we’ve solved homophobia.

” is a birth right of The Gays™, but you are doubtls aware of the ntroversy surroundg Drag lgo. The Story of Polari, Bra’s Secret Gay Language is available to borrow om the YSJ library. Wh words like "sha, " "tea, " and "kiki" proment queer culture, sometim feels like 's impossible for straights to unrstand gays...

Called Polari, the gay slang is posed of back slang, circ slang, and broken Yiddish and Italian. The "secret language" was ed heavily by gays the circ, navy, and theater, and arose out of the need to discs gay matters unr a clever guise, due to homosexual acts beg illegal Bra until the passage of the Sexual Offens Act 1967.

POLARI, BRA’S SECRET GAY LANGUAGE AND S FLUENCE TODAY

Here's some of the amg slang: Basket - the bulge of male genals through clothFantabulos-wonrfulEf - face (backslang) DollyEf - pretty face Chicken - a young guySome Polari words still exist morn gay slang. As gays began to fight for acceptance and rights, they ma a ncentrated effort to remove the Brish society's one-dimensnal view of all gays as beg overly mpy and effemate.

TALKG POLARI: HOW THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF POLARI WAS EMBRACED BY THE LGBT+ MUNY AND WHY 'S BEG KEPT ALIVE TODAY'IT WOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE SHAME FOR TO DIE OUT PLETELY AS ’S AN IMPORTANT PART OF HISTORY'MENBOOKMARKSHARENEWSBYADAM MAIDMENTREPORTER18:35, 22 AUG 2020UPDATED14:32, 23 AUG 2020BOOKMARK55 YEARS AGO, EVENTS LIKE MANCHTER PRI WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE PLACE BUT MEMBERS OF THE GAY MUNY WERE STILL FDG A WAY OF BEG 'PROUD' (IMAGE: CARL SONIK/MANCHTER EVENG NEWS)THE WEEKLY EMAIL BRGS YOU ALL THE LATT NEWS OM THE LGBTQ+ MUNY PL EXCLIVE TERVIEWS DIRECT TO YOUR BOXMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 THE WEEKLY EMAIL BRGS YOU ALL THE LATT NEWS OM THE LGBTQ+ MUNY PL EXCLIVE TERVIEWS DIRECT TO YOUR BOXINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

Check out Atlas Obscura pots out, Polari was a great self-performative outlet for Brish gays to not only exprs themselv but also easily intify and n wh fellow memebers of the queer muny. Until 1967 the UK, homosexualy was illegal, and gay men ed a secret language to be able to munite wh one another and rema is the story of the hidn language of problem wh a secret language (and I’m gog to ll a language for the purpose of this say) – but the tth is that the secret language is jt that, a secret. In the mid-20th century, was adopted by some gay men as a secret language for e public spac.

However, after the legalisatn of homosexualy the UK, the language beme ls relevant. Exampl:Bona - good or attractiveCamp - overly dramatic or theatrilCod - a nonsense phrase or storyEke – faceRiah/Riha – HairLalli - legsNaff - unattractive or unfashnableOmi - manPalone - womanTra - a sexual partnervada - to look at or exameWallop - foodZhoosh - to make more attractive or stylishBasket - unrwearBona Box - a good lookg manButch - mascule or manlyDrag - clothg worn to impersonate a different genrTra School - a place where gay men meet for sual sexZhoosh Up - to make onelf look more 's important to note that the e of Polari was not wispread and the vobulary varied between ers, but the are some monly ed exampl. Cultural ImpactThe cultural impact of Polari n be seen the way that helped to shape the inty of gay men Bra.

POLARI: THE LOST LANGUAGE OF GAY MEN

The language provid a way for gay men to munite and nnect wh each other, creatg a sense of muny and shared inty. This sense of muny was particularly important a time when homosexualy was illegal and wily stigmatized, and Polari provid a safe space for gay men to exprs themselv and nnect wh others who shared their legacy of Polari n also be seen the way that fluenced the velopment of LGBTQ+ termology and language.

GAY SLANG: A SECRET LANGUAGE THAT BEGAN AS AN ACT OF DEFIANCE

Many of the words and phras ed Polari have sce bee a part of the broar LGBTQ+ lexin and are ed to scribe aspects of gay culture and inty. This reprentatn helped to brg the language and the experienc of gay men to the mastream and helped to raise awarens of the importance of Polari shapg the LGBTQ+ muny. Perhaps is only cince that Round the Horne won the Wrers’ Guild of Great Bra Award for the bt edy script 1967, the same year homosexualy was crimalized.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* SECRET GAY LANGUAGE UK

How gay artists exprsed forbidn sire | CNN .

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