Everything about Gay Slang totally explained
Gay slang or
LGBT slang in
linguistics refers to a form of
English slang used predominantly among
LGBT (
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual and
transgender) people.
Differences and similarities to Polari
Modern gay slang has origins in the English language.
Polari was a
cant or cryptolect used in the
gay subculture in
Britain. Polari derives from
Italian languages,
Mediterranean Lingua Franca,
Yiddish and
French.
Another difference between gay slang and Polari is that gay slang has become descriptive of the overall experience of life in the
gay community, whereas Polari includes names for common words that have no exclusive relation to the LGBT culture (for example, "glossies" for "magazines").
Gay slang also coexists alongside regional slang and many gay men will combine them.
Although there are differences, modern gay slang has adopted many polari words, as detailed in the table below:
Source: Fantabulosa: A Dictionary of Polari and Gay Slang
| Glossary of gay slang taken from Polari |
| Word |
Approximate meaning |
| basket |
the bulge of male genitals through clothes |
| bumming |
the act of gay sex |
| chicken |
young boy |
| cottaging |
having or looking for sex in a public toilet |
| zhoosh |
style |
Cultural impact
Many terms that originated as gay slang have become part of the popular
lexicon. For example, the word
drag was popularized by
Hubert Selby, Jr. in his book
Last Exit to Brooklyn. "Drag" has been traced back by the
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) to the late 19th Century. Conversely, words such as
banjee, while well-established in a subset of gay society, have never made the transition to popular use. Other less well known terms include
funguy : This is a flamboyant
homosexual who endulges in any gay sex/
fetish and will dress in gay attire; also
linker Man : This is a gay male who dresses in gay attire which must include chains, normally he's leather clad. Both of these are normally found in
gay bars and thus form part of gay scene.
Footnotes
Further Information
Get more info on 'Gay Slang'.
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