Polari #gay language

Polari (from Italian parlare 'to talk') is a form of slang or cant historically used primarily in the United Kingdom by some actors, circus and fairground performers, professional wrestlers, merchant navy sailors, criminals and prostitutes, and particularly among the gay subculture. There is some debate about its origins, [2] but it can be traced to at least the 19th century and possibly as.

To avoid imprisonment, gay men used Polari, a language that the Oxford English Dictionary says is “made up of Italianate phrases, rhyming slang and cant terms.”.

It's time to bring back these terms from Polari, a secret language used by gay men in the U.K. during the s.

Words From the Secret Slang of Gay Men and Entertainers This dictionary consists of terms which are used in the ‘standardised’ form of Polari that this site teaches.