Polari

Imagine a secret language, whispered in hushed tones or flamboyant pronouncements, used to find kinship or evade danger. Polari was precisely that—a vibrant, ever-evolving cant born from the fringes of British society. From fairgrounds to the gay subculture, it served as a lifeline, a badge of identity, and a dazzling display of linguistic defiance. Polari was a dynamic blend of several languages and cants, providing a clandestine means of communication for diverse, often marginalized, communities in the UK. It flourished particularly within the gay subculture, offering a crucial layer of protection and connection during eras when homosexuality was criminalized. Despite a period of decline, Polari has experienced a significant revival, celebrated today as an important cultural artifact and a symbol of LGBTQ+ heritage and resilience.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

Polari was a dynamic blend of several languages and cants, providing a clandestine means of communication for diverse, often marginalized, communities in the UK.
It flourished particularly within the gay subculture, offering a crucial layer of protection and connection during eras when homosexuality was criminalized.
Despite a period of decline, Polari has experienced a significant revival, celebrated today as an important cultural artifact and a symbol of LGBTQ+ heritage and resilience.

The Secret Tongue of Britain's Subcultures

Polari, a fascinating form of slang or cant, emerged from a compelling need for secret communication in the United Kingdom. Its name likely comes from the Italian word 'parlare,' meaning 'to talk,' hinting at its diverse linguistic roots. For centuries, it was the hidden lexicon of various groups, from traveling performers to sailors and even criminals.

While its exact origins are debated, evidence suggests Polari has existed since at least the 19th century, with some historians tracing its roots back as far as the 16th century. It famously served as the traditional conversational language for Punch and Judy street puppeteers, demonstrating its long-standing connection to the performing arts.

A Linguistic Kaleidoscope

What made Polari so unique was its incredibly eclectic blend of influences. It was a rich stew of Romance languages, like Italian and the Mediterranean Lingua Franca, mixed with Romani, rhyming slang, and snippets from sailors' jargon and thieves' cant. As it evolved, it absorbed words from Yiddish and even 1960s drug subculture slang, making it a living, breathing linguistic mosaic.

This ever-evolving nature meant Polari was constantly adapting. While its core vocabulary was relatively small—around 20 key words—these terms formed the building blocks for rich and expressive communication. Words like 'bona' for good, 'vada' for see, 'naff' for drab or dull, and 'zhoosh' to smarten up, painted a vivid picture of its users' world.

Interestingly, London even developed two distinct forms of Polari. The East End version leaned heavily on Cockney rhyming slang, reflecting its local community, while the West End version drew more from theatrical and classical influences, showcasing its links to the stage. Despite these regional flavors, there was always some delightful interchange between them.

A truly distinctive feature, especially within the LGBTQ+ community, was Polari's playful inversion of gendered personal pronouns and names. 'He' might become 'she,' and a name like 'Paul' could transform into 'Pauline.' This linguistic gender-bending added another layer of coded meaning and community identification.

The Power of Secret Speech

From the 19th century onwards, Polari found fertile ground in London's bustling fish markets, vibrant theatres, and traveling fairgrounds. The Romani language, often spoken by travelers and performers, significantly contributed to its lexicon. This shared linguistic space became a powerful tool for self-expression and community building.

For gay men, many of whom worked in theatrical entertainment or the British Merchant Navy, Polari offered something even more vital: a secret code. In an era when homosexual acts were criminalized, Polari allowed them to communicate covertly, identify fellow members of the subculture, and evade hostile outsiders or undercover police. It was a linguistic shield in a dangerous world.

The close relative 'Parlyaree,' spoken in fairgrounds since at least the 17th century, highlights Polari's deep historical roots. The intertwining of fairs, theatrical booths, and traveling circuses meant that these cants predate the formal separation of theatre and circus, revealing a shared linguistic heritage amongst transient communities.

One of the earliest recorded accounts of Polari comes from Henry Mayhew's 1850s interviews with a Punch and Judy showman. Mayhew's detailed record gives us a rare glimpse into the language, illustrating its connection to early Italian performers who brought puppet shows to England.

The showman's 'Punch Talk' included phrases like 'Bona Parle' for 'language' and 'Yeute munjare' for 'no food.' He proudly declared it 'a broken Italian,' superior to common costers' slang, showcasing the perceived sophistication and practical utility of Polari for its speakers.

From Secret Code to Public Giggles

By the late 1960s, Polari's widespread use within the gay subculture began to wane. This shift coincided with two major developments: the partial decriminalization of adult homosexual acts in England and Wales in 1967, which reduced the immediate need for a secret language, and the unexpected mainstream popularization of some Polari terms.

The BBC radio comedy 'Round the Horne' played a significant role in this public exposure. Its beloved, camp gay characters Julian and Sandy, played by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams, peppered their dialogue with Polari. Suddenly, a language once confined to the shadows was broadcast to millions, turning its terms into a source of public amusement.

However, the gay liberation movement of the 1970s also contributed to its decline, viewing Polari as old-fashioned and perpetuating stereotypes of campness that the movement sought to challenge. The desire for open expression often clashed with the perceived secrecy and traditional connotations of Polari.

Polari in the Mainstream

Despite its decline as a primary secret language, Polari's legacy endured through the integration of several of its words into mainstream British slang. Terms like 'butch' for masculine, 'camp' for effeminate, and 'scarper' for to run off, quietly slipped into everyday conversation, often without public knowledge of their origins.

One of the most famous examples is 'naff,' meaning inferior or tacky. Its etymology is debated, possibly from a 16th-century Italian word, but it gained widespread use in the 1970s via the sitcom 'Porridge' as a euphemism for stronger expletives. Even Princess Anne reportedly told a reporter to 'naff off' in 1982, cementing its place in popular culture.

Another Polari word that found its way into common usage is 'zhoosh' (or 'zhuzh'), meaning to smarten up or improve something. It gained significant traction in the mid-2000s through US TV shows like 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,' showcasing its enduring appeal and adaptability.

A Proud Revival

In recent decades, there has been a passionate resurgence of interest in Polari, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. It's being reclaimed not just as a historical curiosity, but as a vital part of LGBTQ+ heritage and identity, a testament to resilience and the richness of queer culture.

This revival is evident in various initiatives: Gay's the Word bookshop holding Polari workshops, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence translating parts of the King James Bible into Polari, and even Madame Jo Jo's nightclub teaching its staff to speak it. Academics like Paul Baker have also significantly contributed to this renewed interest through their extensive research and publications.

For many, Polari offers more than just a historical link—it provides an 'alternate queer linguistic space.' In an era where traditional LGBTQ+ social venues are diminishing, and interactions are often mediated by apps, reclaiming Polari offers a tangible connection to a shared past and a unique cultural identity.

Polari's influence continues to inspire contemporary artists and writers. The Polari Literary Salon, founded by Paul Burston in 2007, champions LGBTQ+ writers, with its associated Polari Prizes recognizing talent across various stages of their careers. Other organizations and magazines have also adopted Polari-inspired names, like Vada Magazine, further embedding the language into modern queer culture.

Artistic projects, such as Jez Dolan and Joe Richardson's 'Polari Mission' tour and exhibition, have explored LGBTQ+ history through the lens of Polari. Poet Adam Lowe even performed his Polari poem 'Vada That' in Parliament's Speaker's House, showcasing the language's journey from clandestine whispers to public platforms, celebrating its unique place in British cultural history.

Polari in Popular Culture

Beyond its historical and community revival, Polari continues to pop up in various forms of popular media, showing its enduring cultural resonance. The characters Julian and Sandy from 'Round the Horne' remain iconic, and their use of Polari is still a touchstone for British comedy and queer history.

Musicians like Morrissey have incorporated Polari into their work, such as his single 'Piccadilly Palare' and the album 'Bona Drag.' You can even find Polari dialogue in films like 'Velvet Goldmine,' short films like 'Putting on the Dish,' and even video games like 'Dragon Quest Builders 2,' where a character named Jules speaks in Polari.

Its presence in diverse media, from a 2019 opera titled 'The Sins of the Cities of the Plain' with a Polari libretto, to a character in the 2020 film 'Roald & Beatrix' and contemporary poetry collections, illustrates that Polari is far from a forgotten language. It lives on, a testament to its vibrant past and its powerful, evolving legacy.

A Glossary of Gems

To truly appreciate Polari, a glimpse into its vocabulary is essential. These words, once vital tools for covert communication, reveal much about the lives and experiences of those who spoke them. Here are just a few examples that illuminate the charm and ingenuity of this fantastic language:

Word	Definition	acdc, bibi	bisexual
ajax	nearby
alamo!	they're attractive!
batter	to beat
bona	good
camp	effeminate
carsey, khazi	house or a toilet
clobber	clothes
cod	bad
dinari	money
eek/eke	face
fantabulosa	fabulous/wonderful
fruit	gay man
hoofer	dancer
latty/lattie	room, house or flat
naff	awful, dull, hetero
omi	man
palone	woman
riah/riha	hair
rozzer	policeman
scarper	to run off
slap	makeup
strides	trousers
trade	sex, sex-partner
vada/varder	to see
zhoosh	style, improve, clothes

Listening to Polari reveals its unique rhythm and wit. For instance, the famous Julian and Sandy sketch from 'Round the Horne' once quipped: 'Omies and palones of the jury, vada well at the eek of the poor ome who stands before you, his lallies trembling.' This translates to: 'Men and women of the jury, look well at the face of the poor man who stands before you, his legs trembling.'

Another poignant example from Peter Burton's memoirs paints a picture of youthful gay life: '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.' Imagine: 'As young men...we would style our hair, powder our faces, climb into our great new clothes, don our shoes and wander off to some great little bar.' Polari truly brought their experiences to life.

Article

Polari

Polari (from Italian parlare 'to talk') is a form of slang or cant historically used primarily in the United Kingdom among the gay subculture, as well as some actors, circus and fairground performers, professional wrestlers, merchant navy sailors, criminals, and prostitutes.

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 street puppeteers, who traditionally used it to converse.

Terminology

Polari

Alternative spellings include Parlare, Parlary, Palare, Palarie and Palari. The term comes from Italian parlare 'to talk'.

Description

Polari

Rainbow Plaque on Leeds City Varieties theatre

Polari is a mixture of Romance (Italian or Mediterranean Lingua Franca), Romani, rhyming slang, sailors' slang and thieves' cant, which later expanded to contain words from Yiddish and 1960s drug subculture slang. It was constantly evolving, with a small core lexicon of about 20 words, including: bona (good), ajax (nearby), eek (face), cod (bad, in the sense of tacky or vile), naff (bad, in the sense of drab or dull, though borrowed into mainstream British English with a meaning more like that of cod), lattie (room, house, flat), nanti (not, no), omi (man), palone (woman), riah (hair), zhoosh or tjuz (smarten up, stylise), TBH ('to be had', sexually accessible), trade (sex) and vada (see).

There were once two distinct forms of Polari in London: an East End version which stressed Cockney rhyming slang and a West End version which stressed theatrical and classical influences. There was some interchange between the two.

When used by homosexual men, 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

Polari

From the 19th century on, Polari was used in London fish markets, theatres, fairgrounds, and circuses, hence the many borrowings from Romani. As many homosexual men worked in theatrical entertainment, it was also used among the gay subculture to disguise homosexuals from hostile outsiders and undercover policemen. It was also used extensively in the British Merchant Navy, where many gay men worked as waiters, stewards, and entertainers.

According to Oxford English Dictionary associate editor Peter Gilliver, little written evidence of Polari exists before the 1890s. 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 finely dressed, 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.

Henry Mayhew gave an account of Polari as part of an interview with a Punch and Judy 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's account calls him Porchini, a literal rendering of the Italian pronunciation). Mayhew provides the following:

Punch Talk "Bona Parle" means language; name of patter. "Yeute munjare" – no food. "Yeute lente" – no bed. "Yeute bivare" – no drink. I've "yeute munjare", and "yeute bivare", and, what's worse, "yeute lente". This is better than the costers' talk, because that ain't no slang and all, and this is a broken Italian, and much higher than the costers' lingo. We know what o'clock it is, besides.

Additional accounts of particular words relate to puppet performance:

• "'Slumarys' – figures, frame, scenes, properties. • "'Slum' – call, or unknown tongue" ("unknown" is a reference to the "swazzle", 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, with its camp gay characters Julian and Sandy, 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; in the 1970s, the gay liberation movement began to view Polari as old-fashioned and perpetuating harmful camp stereotypes.

Mainstream usage

Bona Togs, a St Helier shop named in Polari

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, [rough] trade.

The Polari word naff, meaning inferior or tacky, has an uncertain etymology. Michael Quinion says it is probably from the 16th-century Italian word gnaffa, meaning "a despicable person". There are a number of false etymologies, many based on backronyms—"Not Available For Fucking", "Normal As Fuck", etc. The phrase "naff off" was used euphemistically in place of "fuck off" along with the intensifier "naffing" in Keith Waterhouse's Billy Liar (1959). Usage of "naff" increased in the 1970s when the television sitcom Porridge employed it as an alternative to expletives which were not broadcastable at the time. Princess Anne 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.

"Zhoosh" (; alternatively spelled "zhuzh," "jeuje," 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 and What Not to Wear. "Jush", an alternative spelling of the word, was popularised by drag queen Jasmine Masters after her appearance on the seventh series of RuPaul's Drag Race 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 have translated (partially relexified) the King James Bible into Polari, and Madame Jo Jo's nightclub in Soho taught its staff to speak Polari.

Now as reefing fakements offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

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 launched Polari Literary Salon in London to platform LGBTQ+ writers. He launched the Polari First Book Prize 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. 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 with accompaniment by musician Nikki Franklin. In 2017, a service at Westcott House, Cambridge was conducted in Polari. Trainee priests held the service to commemorate LGBT History Month; following media attention, Chris Chivers, the principal, expressed his regret.

In 2019, Reaktion Books 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

• Polari (spelt "Polare") was popularised on the 1960s BBC radio show Round the Horne. The camp gay Polari-speaking characters Julian and Sandy were played by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams. • In the Doctor Who serial Carnival of Monsters (1973), Vorg, a showman, attempts to converse with the Doctor in Polari. • Ralph Filthy, a theatrical agent played by Nigel Planer in the BBC TV series Filthy Rich & Catflap, regularly used Polari. • In 1990, Morrissey released the single "Piccadilly Palare" 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, whose title is also taken from Polari. • In Doom Patrol, Danny the Street often speaks Polari. • In his 1995 novel Behind Closed Doors, Coronation Street creator Tony Warren depicts his characters using Polari on the gay scene of 1950s Manchester. • In the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine, 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. • The song Girl Loves Me from David Bowie's 2016 album Blackstar features lyrics in both Polari and the fictional language Nadsat from the novel A Clockwork Orange. • 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 (based on the book of the same title), premiered at Espacio Turina in Seville, Spain. The libretto was written in Polari by librettist and playwright 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 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. • In 2023, Peepal Tree Press 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 (2024), characters discuss BBC Radio using Polari in Round the Horne and visit a comedy club where gay and entertainment-industry characters converse in Polari. • British singer Olly Alexander released his debut album Polari on 7 February 2025.

Glossary

Polari

<table><thead><tr><th>Number</th><th>Definition</th><th>Italian numbers</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>medza, medzer</td><td>half</td><td>mezza</td></tr><tr><td>una, oney</td><td>one</td><td>uno</td></tr><tr><td>dooey</td><td>two</td><td>due</td></tr><tr><td>tray</td><td>three</td><td>tre</td></tr><tr><td>quarter</td><td>four</td><td>quattro</td></tr><tr><td>chinker</td><td>five</td><td>cinque</td></tr><tr><td>say</td><td>six</td><td>sei</td></tr><tr><td>say oney, setter</td><td>seven</td><td>sette</td></tr><tr><td>say dooey, otter</td><td>eight</td><td>otto</td></tr><tr><td>say tray, nobber</td><td>nine</td><td>nove</td></tr><tr><td>daiture</td><td>ten</td><td>dieci</td></tr><tr><td>long dedger, lepta</td><td>eleven</td><td>undici</td></tr><tr><td>kenza</td><td>twelve</td><td>dodici</td></tr><tr><td>chenter</td><td>one hundred</td><td>cento</td></tr></tbody></table>

Some words or phrases that may derive from Polari (this is an incomplete list):

<table><thead><tr><th>Word</th><th>Definition</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>acdc, bibi</td><td>bisexual</td></tr><tr><td>ajax</td><td>nearby (shortened form of "adjacent to")</td></tr><tr><td>alamo!</td><td>they're attractive! (via acronym "LMO" meaning "Lick Me Out!")</td></tr><tr><td>arva</td><td>to have sex (from Italian chiavare, to screw)</td></tr><tr><td>aunt nell</td><td>listen!</td></tr><tr><td>aunt nells</td><td>ears</td></tr><tr><td>aunt nelly fakes</td><td>earrings</td></tr><tr><td>barney</td><td>a fight</td></tr><tr><td>bat, batts, bates</td><td>shoes</td></tr><tr><td>bevvy</td><td>drink (diminutive of "beverage")</td></tr><tr><td>bitch</td><td>effeminate or passive gay man</td></tr><tr><td>bijou</td><td>small/little (from French, jewel)</td></tr><tr><td>bitaine</td><td>whore (French putain)</td></tr><tr><td>blag</td><td>sexually pick up</td></tr><tr><td>bold</td><td>homosexual</td></tr><tr><td>bona</td><td>good</td></tr><tr><td>bona nochy</td><td>goodnight (from Italian – buona notte)</td></tr><tr><td>butch</td><td>masculine; masculine lesbian</td></tr><tr><td>buvare</td><td>a drink; something drinkable (from Italian – bere or old-fashioned Italian – bevere or Lingua Franca bevire)</td></tr><tr><td>cackle</td><td>talk/gossip</td></tr><tr><td>camp</td><td>effeminate (possibly from Italian campare or campeggiare "emphasise, make stand out") (possibly from the phrase "camp follower" those itinerants who followed behind the men in uniform/highly decorative dress)</td></tr><tr><td>capello, capella, capelli, kapella</td><td>hat (from Italian – cappello)</td></tr><tr><td>carsey, karsey, khazi</td><td>house or a toilet</td></tr><tr><td>cartes</td><td>penis (from Italian – cazzo)</td></tr><tr><td>cats</td><td>trousers</td></tr><tr><td>charper</td><td>to search or to look (from Italian acchiappare, to catch)</td></tr><tr><td>charpering omi</td><td>policeman</td></tr><tr><td>charver</td><td>sexual intercourse</td></tr><tr><td>chicken</td><td>young man</td></tr><tr><td>clevie</td><td>vagina</td></tr><tr><td>clobber</td><td>clothes</td></tr><tr><td>cod</td><td>bad</td></tr><tr><td>corybungus</td><td>backside, posterior</td></tr><tr><td>cottage</td><td>a public lavatory used for sexual encounters (public lavatories in British parks and elsewhere were often built in the style of a Tudor cottage)</td></tr><tr><td>cottaging</td><td>seeking or obtaining sexual encounters in public lavatories</td></tr><tr><td>cove</td><td>taxi</td></tr><tr><td>dhobi / dhobie / dohbie</td><td>wash (from Hindi, dohb)</td></tr><tr><td>Dilly boy</td><td>a male prostitute, from Piccadilly boy</td></tr><tr><td>Dilly, the</td><td>Piccadilly circus, a place where cruising went on</td></tr><tr><td>dinari</td><td>money (Latin 'denarii' was the 'd' of the pre decimal penny. This word is cognate with the Spanish word 'dinero' also meaning money)</td></tr><tr><td>dish</td><td>buttocks</td></tr><tr><td>dolly</td><td>pretty, nice, pleasant, (from Irish dóighiúil/Scottish Gaelic dòigheil, handsome, pronounced 'doil')</td></tr><tr><td>dona</td><td>woman (perhaps from Italian donna or Lingua Franca dona)</td></tr><tr><td>ecaf</td><td>face (backslang)</td></tr><tr><td>eek/eke</td><td>face (abbreviation of ecaf)</td></tr><tr><td>ends</td><td>hair</td></tr><tr><td>esong, sedon</td><td>nose (backslang)</td></tr><tr><td>fambles</td><td>hands</td></tr><tr><td>fantabulosa</td><td>fabulous/wonderful</td></tr><tr><td>farting crackers</td><td>trousers</td></tr><tr><td>feele / feely / filly</td><td>child/young (from the Italian figlio, for son)</td></tr><tr><td>feele omi / feely omi</td><td>young man</td></tr><tr><td>flowery</td><td>lodgings, accommodations</td></tr><tr><td>fogus</td><td>tobacco</td></tr><tr><td>fortuni</td><td>gorgeous, beautiful</td></tr><tr><td>fruit</td><td>gay man</td></tr><tr><td>funt</td><td>pound £ (Yiddish)</td></tr><tr><td>fungus</td><td>old man/beard</td></tr><tr><td>gelt</td><td>money (Yiddish)</td></tr><tr><td>bag</td><td>money</td></tr><tr><td>hoofer</td><td>dancer</td></tr><tr><td>HP (homy palone)</td><td>gay man, especially an effeminate one</td></tr><tr><td>irish</td><td>wig (from Cockney rhyming slang, "Irish jig")</td></tr><tr><td>jarry</td><td>food, also mangarie (from Italian mangiare or Lingua Franca mangiaria)</td></tr><tr><td>jubes</td><td>breasts</td></tr><tr><td>kaffies</td><td>trousers</td></tr><tr><td>lacoddy, lucoddy</td><td>body</td></tr><tr><td>lallies / lylies</td><td>legs, sometimes also knees (as in "get down on yer lallies")</td></tr><tr><td>lallie tappers</td><td>feet</td></tr><tr><td>latty / lattie</td><td>room, house or flat</td></tr><tr><td>lau</td><td>lay or place upon</td></tr><tr><td>lavs</td><td>words (Irish: labhairt to speak)</td></tr><tr><td>lills</td><td>hands</td></tr><tr><td>lilly</td><td>police (Lilly Law)</td></tr><tr><td>lyles</td><td>legs (prob. from "Lisle stockings")</td></tr><tr><td>luppers</td><td>fingers (from Yiddish lapa – paw)</td></tr><tr><td>mangarie</td><td>food, also jarry (from Italian mangiare or Lingua Franca mangiaria)</td></tr><tr><td>manky</td><td>worthless, dirty (from Italian mancare – "to be lacking")</td></tr><tr><td>martinis</td><td>hands</td></tr><tr><td>measures</td><td>money</td></tr><tr><td>medzered</td><td>divided</td></tr><tr><td>meese</td><td>plain, ugly (from Yiddish mieskeit, in turn from Hebrew מָאוּס repulsive, loathsome, despicable, abominable)</td></tr><tr><td>meshigener</td><td>nutty, crazy, mental (from Yiddish 'meshugge', in turn from Hebrew מְשֻׁגָּע crazy)</td></tr><tr><td>meshigener carsey</td><td>church</td></tr><tr><td>metzas</td><td>money (from Italian mezzi, "means, wherewithal")</td></tr><tr><td>mince</td><td>walk affectedly</td></tr><tr><td>mollying</td><td>involved in the act of sex</td></tr><tr><td>mogue</td><td>deceive</td></tr><tr><td>munge</td><td>darkness</td></tr><tr><td>naff</td><td>awful, dull, hetero</td></tr><tr><td>nana / nanna</td><td>awful</td></tr><tr><td>nanti</td><td>not, no, none (from Italian, niente)</td></tr><tr><td>national handbag</td><td>dole, welfare, government financial assistance</td></tr><tr><td>nishta</td><td>nothing from Yiddish nishto נישטא meaning nothing</td></tr><tr><td>ogle</td><td>look admiringly</td></tr><tr><td>ogles</td><td>eyes</td></tr><tr><td>oglefakes</td><td>glasses</td></tr><tr><td>omi</td><td>man (from Romance)</td></tr><tr><td>onk</td><td>nose (from "conk")</td></tr><tr><td>orbs</td><td>eyes</td></tr><tr><td>orderly daughters</td><td>police</td></tr><tr><td>oven</td><td>mouth (nanti pots in the oven = no teeth in the mouth)</td></tr><tr><td>palare / polari pipe</td><td>telephone ("talk pipe")</td></tr><tr><td>palliass</td><td>back</td></tr><tr><td>park, parker</td><td>give</td></tr><tr><td>plate</td><td>feet (Cockney rhyming slang "plates of meat"); to fellate</td></tr><tr><td>palone</td><td>woman (Italian paglione – "straw mattress"; cf. old Cant hay-bag – "woman"); also spelled "polony" in Graham Greene's 1938 novel Brighton Rock</td></tr><tr><td>palone-omi</td><td>lesbian</td></tr><tr><td>pots</td><td>teeth</td></tr><tr><td>quongs</td><td>testicles</td></tr><tr><td>reef</td><td>touch</td></tr><tr><td>remould</td><td>sex change</td></tr><tr><td>rozzer</td><td>policeman</td></tr><tr><td>riah / riha</td><td>hair (backslang)</td></tr><tr><td>riah zhoosher</td><td>hairdresser</td></tr><tr><td>rough trade</td><td>a working class or blue collar sex partner or potential sex partner; a tough, thuggish or potentially violent sex partner</td></tr><tr><td>scarper</td><td>to run off (from Italian scappare, to escape or run away or from rhyming slang "scapa flow", to go)</td></tr><tr><td>scharda</td><td>shame (from German schade, "a shame" or "a pity")</td></tr><tr><td>schlumph</td><td>drink</td></tr><tr><td>schmutter</td><td>apparel from Yiddish shmatte שמאטע meaning rag</td></tr><tr><td>schooner</td><td>bottle</td></tr><tr><td>scotch</td><td>leg (scotch egg=leg)</td></tr><tr><td>screech</td><td>mouth, speak</td></tr><tr><td>screeve</td><td>write (either from Irish scríobh/Scottish Gaelic sgrìobh, Scots scrieve to write or italian 'scrivere' meaning to write)</td></tr><tr><td>sharpy</td><td>policeman (from – charpering omi)</td></tr><tr><td>sharpy polone</td><td>policewoman</td></tr><tr><td>shush</td><td>steal (from client)</td></tr><tr><td>shush bag</td><td>hold-all</td></tr><tr><td>shyker / shyckle</td><td>wig (mutation of the Yiddish sheitel)</td></tr><tr><td>slap</td><td>makeup</td></tr><tr><td>so</td><td>homosexual (e.g. "Is he 'so'?")</td></tr><tr><td>stimps</td><td>legs</td></tr><tr><td>stimpcovers</td><td>stockings, hosiery</td></tr><tr><td>strides</td><td>trousers</td></tr><tr><td>strillers</td><td>piano</td></tr><tr><td>switch</td><td>wig</td></tr><tr><td>TBH (to be had)</td><td>prospective sexual conquest</td></tr><tr><td>thews</td><td>thighs</td></tr><tr><td>tober</td><td>road (a Shelta word, Irish bóthar); temporary site for a circus, carnival</td></tr><tr><td>todd (Sloan) or tod</td><td>from Cockney rhyming slang "alone"</td></tr><tr><td>tootsie trade</td><td>sex between two passive or feminine homosexuals (as in: 'I don't do tootsie trade')</td></tr><tr><td>trade</td><td>sex, sex-partner, potential sex-partner</td></tr><tr><td>troll</td><td>to walk about (esp. looking for trade)</td></tr><tr><td>vada / varder</td><td>to see (from Italian dialect vardare = guardare – look at)</td></tr><tr><td>vera (lynn)</td><td>gin</td></tr><tr><td>vogue</td><td>cigarette (from Lingua Franca fogus – "fire, smoke")</td></tr><tr><td>vogueress</td><td>female smoker</td></tr><tr><td>wallop</td><td>dance</td></tr><tr><td>willets</td><td>breasts</td></tr><tr><td>yeute</td><td>no, none</td></tr><tr><td>yews</td><td>(from French "yeux") eyes</td></tr><tr><td>zhoosh</td><td>style, improve, clothes(cf. Romani zhouzho – "clean, neat")</td></tr><tr><td>zhooshy</td><td>showy</td></tr></tbody></table>

Usage examples

Omies and palones of the jury, vada well at the eek of the poor ome who stands before you, his lallies trembling. – taken from "Bona Law", one of the Julian and Sandy sketches from Round The Horne, written by Barry Took and Marty Feldman

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 Morrissey

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

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 clenched between our teeth."

In the Are You Being Served? 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).