so
Polari: homosexual, as in 'Is he so?'
Definitions
A whisper-quiet way of asking if a man is gay back when saying it outright could get you arrested. 'Is he so?' meant 'is he one of us?' The beauty of it: 'so' is the most innocent word in English, so the question slid right past anyone not in the know. Pure coded survival slang.
so In A Sentence
Origin & Usage
Dated British gay slang / Polari, used pre-decriminalisation as a deniable euphemism. Sits alongside 'musical' and 'that way inclined'.
People Also Ask
What does "so" mean in Polari?
In Polari, "so" means homosexual, as in the coded question "Is he so?"
How do you use "so" in a sentence?
"She leaned in and asked quietly, 'Is he so?'"
Where does "so" come from?
It comes from Polari, the coded slang used by gay men and theatre folk in Britain, especially in the mid-20th century.
Comments 0