📖 14 Polari Words You Might Be Using Without Realising 📖

QUEER WORD
POLARI

What It Means:

Sometimes referred to as ‘the lost language of gay men’, Polari is a cant slang cobbled together from a blend of Romance languages, backslang, Cockney rhyming slang, and the jargon of circuses and theatres (amongst others).

Used predominantly in mid-20th century Britain by gay men, drag queens, theatre performers, sex workers, and others living on the margins, Polari (which comes from the Italian parlare, meaning ‘to talk’) served as a coded form of communication; a way to freely express thoughts and identity in an era when homosexuality was criminalised.

Let’s Use It In A Sentence:

Lloyd and Cam were bantering in Polari at the pub when the straight bartender leaned in and innocently asked ‘are you two speaking in Welsh?’ 

The Good Old (Bad) Days

Do you have anyone in your life who romanticises ‘the olden days’?

You know, the time when queerness was much more illegal, and everything had to happen underground?

Now, I’m in no way clamouring for those days to return, but I can kind of see the appeal. There’s something about the blacked-out windows on gay bars, the secrecy, the sense of having to protect something, that makes those times feel... seductive?

Dangerous?

Alluring? 

We had this rich, bustling subculture that hummed and sang, and a lot of it seems to have been lost to assimilation.

But I digress. Why am I going on about the olden days like this?

Oh yes!

One of the… let’s call them ‘benefits’… of being pushed underground is the way it gave rise to whole systems of communication, rituals, and slang that were ours and ours alone.

And one of the most enduring of these?

The (almost) lost language of Polari.

But What Actually Is Polari?

Polari (which is also sometimes known as parlare, parlay, palatine, palari) is a form of cant slang once used by a range of subcultures in the UK. Though it is best remembered as a secret gay language it was also used by actors, circus and fairground showpeople, criminals, and those involved in sex work (ok, ok, so it’s at this point that it’s worth saying these aren’t entirely independent communities - there’s a massive Venn diagram of overlapping and intersecting identities here).  

While we tend to associate it with mid-20th century Britain, there’s evidence suggesting its roots stretch back as far as the 1500s.

What I love most is that it’s a hodgepodge of slang and language plucked from vastly different contexts and settings - bits of Romance languages (mainly Italian), rhyming slang, sailor lingo, thieves’ cant, backslang (that’s when you say words backwards-ish), and scraps of French, Occitan, Lingua Franca. Even a dash of American airforce slang.

It borrowed shamelessly, threw it all in a blender, and ended up sounding like an actual language (albeit one that sounds like an Italian had a night out in East London and never quite made it home).

Why Bother With All Of This Secrecy?

Well, for starters, it was a brilliant way of saying things without really saying them.

Polari let you talk openly in plain sight while keeping outsiders completely in the dark. You could chat about sex, identity, or someone’s hideous fashion choices while standing right next to them on a bus - and they’d be none the wiser.

It was protection, basically. A shield. At a time when being queer could get you arrested (or worse), Polari helped people hide in plain sight.

But it wasn’t just about secrecy. It was also about solidarity. A way to find each other. Flirt. Cruise. Clock who was in the know.

And it had this camp, fabulous side too: full of wit, exaggeration, and theatrical flair. It was a kind of performance, really. A wink. A raised eyebrow. And for people just finding their way into the queer or theatre scene, it was like being handed a secret key or learning the password. You were in.

Maybe most importantly, Polari gave its speakers a way to name things specific to the gay experience - especially when it came to sex, gender, and identity. Finally there was a word (or, you know, several) to describe picking up a stranger on the train.

If It Was So Important, Why Don’t We Use It Now?

Well, as per usual, heterosexual people came along and ruined it all.

Ok, that was just a joke.

Kind of.

By the 1960s, elements of Polari punctured the mainstream. The BBC even introduced the characters of Julian and Sandy, two camp, coded gay characters who spoke almost exclusively in Polari, to the radio show Round the Horne, bringing what was once an underground lingo into living rooms across the country. And, let’s be honest now, once your mum knows the words for ‘rough trade’ and ‘cruising,’ the magic sort of dies.

Then came 1967 and the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales. Things were still far from perfect, but suddenly there wasn’t quite the same need for a secret language. You didn’t have to speak in riddles anymore.

And by the 1970s, the energy had well and truly shifted. Gay liberationists wanted to smash stereotypes and shake off anything that made queer men look camp or clownish - and Polari, perceived as all limp wrists and theatrical flair, was suddenly seen as a bit embarrassing. Old-fashioned. Too feminine.

These days, attitudes are still a mixed bag. Some see it as silly, outdated or irrelevant. Others believe it’s a vital piece of queer heritage, something to be preserved, even if not revived.

And some of us? Some of us just love the ridiculous words it gave to the world.

Still Speaking Polari (Whether You Know It Or Not)

Great. Now that we've covered the basics, let’s take a look at some Polari words that have sneakily stuck around and infiltrated our everyday language. In fact, I’ll bet there’s at least one in this list that you’re already using without even realising...

Ok, so not all of these are everyday words - but you must’ve heard at least a few of them, no?

For the record, zhoosh is my absolute favourite. Not a day goes by when I’m not trying to zhoosh up something - my salad, my outfit, my increasingly depressing social life.

But, how about you? Do you use any of these words in your day-to-day life? Answer the poll below and let me know!

(or, just hit reply and let me know your favourite Polari word!)