adjective General Slang

Cod

/kɒd/ · adjective · slang

Polari for bad, naff or tacky — the opposite of bona.

0

Definitions

1

Survives in mainstream English as 'cod-' meaning fake or mock, as in 'cod-Latin' or a 'cod accent'.

“She put on a cod posh voice for the charpering omi.”
by community
0
2

In Polari, bad, cheap, vulgar or of poor quality — the natural counterpart to 'bona'. The derivation is uncertain, perhaps from the old English sense of 'cod' meaning a hoax or rubbish.

“Cod drag, dear — absolutely cod.”
by community
0
3

Used of a person to mean dreadful, ridiculous or in poor taste.

“He's a cod old thing, but we love him.”
by community
0

Cod In A Sentence

The lattie was cheap and cod, but it was ours.
Nanti that bevvy, it's cod — watered right down.
He gave a cod little curtsey and trolled off.

Origin & Usage

Polari of mid-20th-century Britain; 'cod' meaning bad or fake has uncertain origins but links to the older English 'cod' (a joke, a hoax), as noted in Paul Baker's Polari research.

Variants coddy
Tags #polari#lgbtq#british#heritage#vintage#lexicon

People Also Ask

What does cod mean in Polari?

It means bad, tacky or poor quality — the opposite of 'bona'.

Is cod related to fake things?

Yes — 'cod-' survives in English meaning mock or fake, as in 'cod-Latin' or a 'cod accent'.

Where does cod come from?

Its origin is uncertain, but it is linked to an older English sense of 'cod' meaning a hoax or rubbish.

Comments 0