Polari is a secret slang or cant used by gay men that developed in the UK and became an integral part of gay subculture.

Many Polari words are still in common usage today, including:

• zhuzh (smarten up, stylize)

• (rough) trade (working class / tough-looking sex partner)

• naff (bad, drab/dull, tacky/vile, hetero)

• camp (effeminate, absurdly exaggerated)

• butch (masculine; masculine lesbian)

• fruit (gay man)

• hoofer (dancer)

• ogle (look admiringly)

• drag (entertainment)

Babel: The Language Magazine has a great feature article about it in issue #2:

babelzine.co.uk

And here’s a great book all about the history of Polari

Amazon: amzn.to/4phmcFm

Bookshop: bookshop.org/a/110785/9…

If you want more of the latest news, research, and interesting articles in language and linguistics, check out my free weekly digest!