noun General Slang

Polari

/pəˈlɑːri/ · noun · slang

The name of the cant itself — and a verb meaning to talk — Britain's secret gay language.

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Definitions

1

As a verb, 'to polari' means to talk or to speak the cant.

“Nanti polari in front of strangers.”
by community
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Polari is the coded language of mid-20th-century British gay men, theatre folk, sailors and fairground people, blending Italian, Romani, Yiddish, back-slang and rhyming slang. The name comes from Italian 'parlare' (to speak).

“They could polari freely while the charpering omi understood not a word.”
by community
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It thrived under criminalisation as a tool of survival and solidarity, faded after the 1967 partial decriminalisation, and is now cherished as LGBTQ+ heritage and the subject of revival.

“Without Polari, a whole generation's wit and resistance might have gone unrecorded.”
by community
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Polari In A Sentence

Julian and Sandy brought Polari to millions of radio listeners in the 1960s.
Learning to polari was learning to be safe and to belong at once.
Scholars like Paul Baker have helped preserve Polari for future generations.

Origin & Usage

From Italian 'parlare' (to speak) via Parlyaree; Polari flourished in 20th-century Britain among gay and theatrical communities and is the subject of Paul Baker's definitive study 'Fabulosa! The Story of Polari' (2019).

Variants polareparlareeparlyareepalare
Tags #polari#lgbtq#british#heritage#vintage#language

People Also Ask

What is Polari?

A secret cant used by British gay men, actors, sailors and fairground folk in the 20th century, mixing Italian, Romani, Yiddish and slang.

Where does the name Polari come from?

From the Italian verb 'parlare', to speak, via the older showmen's lingo Parlyaree.

Why did Polari exist?

Homosexuality was criminalised in Britain until 1967, so Polari let gay men communicate, flirt and warn each other safely.

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