adjective General Slang

Fantabulosa

/fænˌtæbjʊˈləʊsə/ · adjective · slang

Polari for wonderful or marvellous — a blend of fabulous and fantastic with extra flourish.

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Definitions

1

In Polari, wonderful, marvellous, splendid. A portmanteau of 'fabulous' and 'fantastic', dressed up with a mock-Italian '-osa' ending typical of camp Polari coinings.

“Your lattie is absolutely fantabulosa!”
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2

An emphatic, joyful superlative used to lavish praise.

“We had a fantabulosa night out and didn't get home till dawn.”
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3

Popularised on BBC radio's 'Round the Horne' by Julian and Sandy, it became one of Polari's best-remembered words.

“How bona to vada you — fantabulosa!”
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Fantabulosa In A Sentence

She looked fantabulosa in that frock, every inch a star.
What a fantabulosa idea — let's troll down there tonight.
The whole evening was fantabulosa from the first bevvy to the last.

Origin & Usage

Polari of mid-20th-century Britain; 'fantabulosa' is a camp blend of 'fabulous' and 'fantastic', made famous by Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick as Julian and Sandy in the 1960s, as noted by Paul Baker.

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

People Also Ask

What does fantabulosa mean?

It is Polari for wonderful or marvellous, blending 'fabulous' and 'fantastic'.

Where did fantabulosa come from?

It is a camp Polari coinage popularised by the radio characters Julian and Sandy in the 1960s.

Why does fantabulosa end in -osa?

Polari often added mock-Italian or Romance endings for flourish, reflecting its Mediterranean roots.

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