noun General Slang

Charpering Omi

/ˈtʃɑːpərɪŋ ˈəʊmi/ · noun · slang

Polari for a policeman — literally a 'searching man', the figure most feared by speakers.

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Definitions

1

In Polari, a police officer. It combines 'charper' (to search or look for, from Italian 'acchiappare', to catch) with 'omi' (man) — a 'searching man'.

“Nanti polari — charpering omi at the door.”
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2

A coded warning term, since the police were a constant threat when homosexuality was a criminal offence.

“Two charpering omis worked the bar most nights.”
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3

The verb 'charper' alone meant to search or seek; 'charpering carsey' was a police station.

“They charpered the whole lattie and found nothing.”
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Charpering Omi In A Sentence

The moment a charpering omi walked in, the polari stopped dead.
He spent a night in the charpering carsey for nothing more than holding hands.
Vada slow, dear — charpering omi watching from across the road.

Origin & Usage

Polari of mid-20th-century Britain under anti-gay laws; 'charper' derives from Italian 'acchiappare' (to catch) and 'omi' from 'uomo' (man), making 'charpering omi' a 'searching man', per Paul Baker's Polari histories.

Variants charpering homisharpering omi
Tags #polari#lgbtq#british#heritage#vintage#police

People Also Ask

What does charpering omi mean?

It is Polari for a policeman, literally a 'searching man'.

Where does 'charper' come from?

From Italian 'acchiappare', to catch or seize, borrowed through Parlyaree.

Why was the charpering omi so feared?

Until 1967 sex between men was a crime in Britain, so police could arrest Polari speakers simply for who they were.

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