polari (gay slang)

[fudger]

There has been a few theads recently that have had comments made on certain peoples lack of clarity when writing in a thread, I must admit I have found some of the slang by a few of our younger members very hard to follow. I know Its not because I'm getting old or out of touch (at least I dont think it is:redface: ). It's just that no body can understand if it is only you who uses that particular slang.
Now slang has been around for a very long time and was usually created to hide conversations from certain people or to hide entire parts of society.

For example Polari was the slang used by the gay community when being gay was still illegal and seen as a mental health problem. It's most popular use was during the 60's (before I was born) and was featured in radio shows such as Round the Horn. It has now almost competely died out now that we are no longer considered crazy and have found an accepted place in todays society.
As far as I can see it still has a place today within our younger members for concealing conversations form homophobic class mates and bullies whilst talking to friends.
So here is a few words of Polari to get you all started (some you will recognise as they are still used today)

ajax = nearby (from adjacent?), basket = the bulge of male genitals through clothes, batts= shoes, bijou= small, bod= body, bold= daring, bona= good, butch= masculine; masculine lesbian, camp= effeminate (origin: KAMP = Known As Male Prostitute), capello hat carts/cartso= penis, carsey =toilet, also spelt khazi, chicken= young boy, charper= search, charpering omi= policeman, cod naff= vile cottage public loo (particularly with reference to cottaging) cottaging= having or looking for sex in a cottage, crimper= hairdresser, dish= an attractive male buttocks, dizzy= scatterbrained, dolly= pretty, nice, ecaf= face (backslang) eek= face (abbreviation of ecaf), esong =nose, fantabulosa= wonderful , fruit= queen, gelt= money, glossies= magazines, handbag= money, hoofer= dancer, jarry= food, kaffies= trousers, khazi= toilet, also spelt carsey, lallies= legs ,latty= room, house or flat, lills= hands' lilly= police (Lilly Law), luppers= fingers, mince= walk (affectedly) naff= bad, nanti= not, national handbag= dole, nishta =nothing, oglefakes =glasses, ogles =eyes ,omi =man, omi-polone= effeminate man, or homosexual, onk= nose, orbs= eyes, palare pipe= telephone, palliass= back (as in part of body) park= give, plate= feet, pots =teeth, riah/riha= hair, riah shusher= hairdresser, scarper =to run off (from Italian scappare, to escape) scotch leg sharpy= policeman, slap= makeup, strillers= piano, thews = thighs, trade= sex, troll= to walk about (esp. looking for trade), vada/varda= see, willets= breasts.

[mr_21]

Yeah i know what you mean.

I am young but i hate it. I have used it now and then but only very popular slang that people know.

I feel like i am reading a foreign language sometimes.

I rather type in full english easier i think and for others.

[fudger]

Oh I forgot to give an example of how it was used so here goes;

have a vada at her riah dear so naf she needs to see the crimper.
Translates to : look at his hair it's so bad he needs to visit the hairdresser.

Had some lovely trade last night, found her trolling around the khazi.
Translates to: had good sex last night, found him walking around looking for sex near the toilets.

lovely lallies shame about the eek.
Translates to: lovely legs shame about the face.

[mr_21]

OMG,

that is signs of bad writing and it is.

Would never understand that. Glad some of us are happy to spell in full english proper grammar.

[marshlander]

Yeah i know what you mean.

I am young but i hate it. I have used it now and then but only very popular slang that people know.

I feel like i am reading a foreign language sometimes.

I rather type in full english easier i think and for others.

Thank you mile:



I've no idea whether any of our readers who do not have English as a first language can make any sense of some of the more phonetic dialect that seems to be spreading on here. This is an international group and the way we write shouldn't exclude others.

[mr_21]

Could not agree with you anymore marshlander.

Like any country other foreign countries that use foreign languages have there own slang, and it works both ways. I have heard some foreign slang in the past that English users would not understand.

But althou i understand apparently it is like a trend i still think spelling in English whenever possible is best practice.

Reason why i say this is not just for other users to understand althou it is important to consider others, no matter what age but i found when i use to type in slang a few years ago i was even forgetting how to spell proper English words, it was almost as if the slang took over my knowledge of proper English spelling.

Thankfully it did not brainwash me and that i stopped using it, don't get me wrong i use it a tiny bit but only very popular ones and that is rare, i just find it can effect your knowledge of English as it did with me. It is rather scary infact to think typing in slang, shorter text typing etc can make you forget proper English, althou when i was in School i was ok as i was still learning English but when i left School and used it, it's suprising how quick and easy it is to forget proper English.

[fudger]

This wasn't an attempt to get us all talking in slang just a chance to show the younger members that slang has been around for years and did have a place in our society and hoping to show how confusing it can be if you don't know a particular form of slang. I hope that most of what I write is usually in good and easy to understand English. mile:

[IndecisiveLife]

Wow now I know what they were saying in Velvet Goldmine at the club! thanks

[Robertson]

Was that by any chance a directed at me, i do try its just so hard, and ill be honest state schools these days leave alot to be desired and alot of young people leave them with a bare minimum to get them by in life, and with instant messaging and really the same sort of idea with young people trying to hide what they are saying from the older generations it has become, routine to not only type in slang, but also write and speak it. Its just hard to differentiate between the two for the different situations you need them in.

Probably also ignorance on my part too, sorry

[fudger]

Robertson> it wasn't directed at any one person, it was just a way of getting on the subject of polari. By the way you've just written in perfect English and I've understood you just fine this time

IndecisiveLife> if you google Polari you will find lots of dictionaries with loads more words.