a mad man's mumblings about the secret langauge of gay people
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#wow#this is so cool i absouetly love it#fun fact: the pink triangle was used by nazis to identify homosexuals and transgender people in concentration camps during the holocaust#however it was later reclaimed by queer activists and is now widely recognized as a symbol of queer liberation and pride#i like that the pink pyramid is pointing to the heart and that here and rainbows shooting out from it#I know its a light-prism thing because prisms make rainbows but i think there is potential for queer symbolism here too#it makes me wonder what the faces and eye detail could mean if you looked at it through a queer lenses#however my brain is far too tired and mushy from finals for a whole unprovoked gay analysis
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I would suggest reading the Lyrics with Emojis first and seeing how much can understand then coming to the definitions to see if you got it right :)
(heads up there are a lot of references to sex and genitalia in here)
š āBonaā, adjective; good, well, sometimes synonymous with pretty (more here)
š āEkeā, noun, face. Short for ecaf (more here)
š
āCampestā, adjective; the mostĀ ācampā.
š
āCampā is an adjective meaning funny, exaggerated, flamboyant or heavily stylized
š āVadaā, verb; to see or to lookĀ
š ātattyā, fromĀ ātatā, and adjective meaning ārubbishā or ātrashā
š āgaffā, noun; an apartment or house
šš āDragā; noun, clothing, usuallyĀ āwomenāsā clothing
š¤¢ āNaffā, adjective; plain, tasteless, heterosexual, ugly, comes from the acronymĀ āNot Available For Fuckingā
š āPacketā, noun, someoneās crotch
š¬ āBon Polariā this one is hard for me ill cover it at the end of the post
šāāļø āRiahā, noun, hair.
š© āCodā, adjective, bad, synonymous withĀ āshitā
š¦· āPotsā, noun; teeth
šāDishā, noun; the 1st meaning is ass or anus, the 2nd is an attractive man
š³ļøāšāBoldā, adjective, the 1st meaning is very gay, the 2nd is unpleasant (more here)
š„µ š¦āCharverā, verb; to f*ck
š®āāļø āLilly Lawā, noun; the police
š³ļøāš āIn the lifeā, adjective; gay or queer. (more here)
šš āClean the kitchenā, noun, gay sex, usually butt stuff between men
š āCartsā, noun, a penis. a popular variation of this word isĀ āCartzoā
š¦µ āLalliesā, noun; legs. (plural of Lally,Ā ālegā)
š
āNantiā, a general negator term. (more here)
š
āDollyā, adjective; pretty or smartĀ (more here)Ā
So i have done a bit more research on the origins of this song and discovered its aĀ version of one of Lee Suttonās songs! I donāt know much about Lee yet, just that he wrote songs in Polari then translated them for the audience. However he often purposefully translated things wrong as an extra joke for the Polari speakers in the room.
In this recording of him performing and translating Bona Eke he saysĀ āyour bon polari almost makes me spring a leakā meansĀ āWhen you speak your mind I almost lose control of myselfā.
I know Polari is the name for the language and is also a verb meaningĀ āto talkā, but im not quite sure what theĀ ābonā means specifically. In French,Ā ābonā meansĀ āwellā orĀ āgoodā, se perhaps the literal translations isĀ āgood talkā but i cant be sure.Ā
Let me know if you guys would be interested in more about Lee Sutton!
For this post i primarily got my information for Paul Bakers book āFabulosla!, the story of Polariā, the Polari app, and a bit from this recording.Ā
So I just wanted to share this fabulousa song called Bona Eke, its written in Polari!!Ā
youtube
Iāll be reblogging this later today or tomorrow with a translation that explains the Polari words in it for those who are curious :)
#sorry i posted this a bit late#Polari#thepolariperson#polarislang#linguistics#dictionary#music#BonaEke#lgbt history#gayhistory#lgbt#lgbt community#queer#gay language
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(Polari explained here)
Here are the lyrics and some emojis to guide you:
BonašEkeš,
You got the campestš
little bonaš ekeš
When you vadaš me it leaves me weak
Youāve got a bonaš ekeš
bonaš bona, Youāve got aĀ tattyšĀ gaftš
BonašĀ BonašAnd all your dragššĀ isĀ naffš¤¢
But I love you so and
Ā My heart starts a racket
Everytime I see yourĀ packetš
But I love yourĀ bonašĀ ekeš!
BonašĀ Ekeš, Youāve got theĀ campestš
Ā littleĀ bonašĀ ekeš
YourĀ bon Polariš¬Ā makes me spring a leak
Youāve got, aĀ bonašĀ ekeš!
BonašĀ Bonaš, whats more yourĀ riahāsšāāļøĀ codš©
BonaĀ šBonaš, and all yourĀ potsš¦·Ā are odd,
But I love you so, Iād grant your every wish,
Iād even grease myĀ dishšš³
Just to see your bonašĀ ekeš!
BonašĀ Ekeš,Ā
Youāve got theĀ boldestš³ļøāšĀ littleĀ bonašĀ ekeš
And when youĀ charverš„µš¦Ā me it leaves me weak,
Youāve got aĀ bonašĀ ekeš
BonašĀ Bonaš, heard it fromĀ lilly lawš®āāļø
BonašĀ Bonaš,Ā YouāreĀ in the lifeš³ļøāšĀ once more,
But I love you so
And you canĀ clean my kitchenšš
Get yourĀ cartsšĀ a pitchinā!
Yes I love yourĀ bonašĀ ekeš!
BonašĀ EkešĀ x3
YourĀ lalliesš¦µĀ look like darts,
And youāve gotĀ nantiš
Ā cartsš,
But I love your,Ā BonašEkeš!
BonašĀ Ekeš! BonašĀ Ekeš!
Eāre, Give us aĀ vadašĀ of thatĀ dollyš
Ā oldĀ ekeš!Ā
Some words I have already explained and if you click them it will take you to a post with an explanation. There are over 20 polari words in this song to talk about so Iāll be putting definition in another reblog later tonight.
So I just wanted to share this fabulousa song called Bona Eke, its written in Polari!!Ā
youtube
Iāll be reblogging this later today or tomorrow with a translation that explains the Polari words in it for those who are curious :)
#polarislang#music#lyrics#thepolariperson#polari#the secret language of gay people#gay history#lgbt history#gay language#lgbt community#lesbian#gay#bisexual#trans#queer#linguistics#tagging is still confusing#this took ridiculously long but it was so much fun#i hope the emojis are helpful#its such a good song tho#lgbtq
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So I just wanted to share this fabulousa song called Bona Eke, its written in Polari!!Ā
youtube
Iāll be reblogging this later today or tomorrow with a translation that explains the Polari words in it for those who are curious :)
#polari#polarislang#thepolariperson#Bona Eke#linguistics#the secret language of gay people#lgbt history#gay history#lgbt communty#queer
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British twinks in London in the 1900s:
#THIS IS SO FUNNY#BUT NO ONE WILL UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE IM THE LIKE THE ONLY POLARI SPEAKER IK#i love old british twinks so much#polari#polarislang#thepolariperson#polari meme#lgbt history#gay history#linguistics#lgbt#lgbt community#lgbt memes#gay memes#meme#history#the secret language of gay people
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If you are looking for a summary on Polari with more information than what is provided in this post, i highly recommend this video. They do a good job summing up the points of Polari and I found it entertaining to watch.Ā
youtube
If you want to here some examples of Polari being used in conversation, the short film, āPutting on the Dishā, is good example of how Polari would have been used at the peak of its popularity in London.Ā
youtube
#reblog#polarislang#polari#thepolariperson#lgbthistory#gayhistory#lgbt#gay#lesbian#trans#bi#queer#lgbt commmunity
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For people who want to learn Polari here are a few dictionaries you can start looking at.Ā
this free online dictionary
this 2 dollar mobile app
Fabulosa by Paul Baker
Personally Iāve found Paul Bakerās research the most helpful but you can definitively still learn Polari without reading his books.
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For people who want to learn Polari here are a few dictionaries you can start looking at.Ā
this free online dictionary
this 2 dollar mobile app
Fabulosa by Paul Baker
Personally I've found Paul Baker's research the most helpful but you can definitively still learn Polari without reading his books.
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Boyno! Iām Perry, I use any pronouns, and i have a huge passion for all things queer. One of those things that Iām hoping to share and teach is Polari.Ā
For anyone who doesnāt know, Polari is the āsecret language of gay peopleā, it is/was a dialect used by queer folk in London, in the early to mid 1900s.Ā
Polari was used mostly by gay men to identify each other, communicate, evade the police (because being gay was illegal at the time), but it also became a big part of gay culture.Ā
Polari is made up of a large variety of languages of slangs, ranging from Yiddish, to back-slang, to Cant, and many more.Ā
Unfortunately it began to die out mid to late 1900s, the primary reason for this being that being queer was becoming more socially acceptable and there was no use to hide anymore.
I myself know quite a bit of Polari and I want to share my knowledge on it. Iāve been studying it for while and Iām continuing to learn about it. I want to make learning Polari not only easy and accessible, but fun and engaging. So i figure what better way to start than with a tumblr?Ā
Some other things about me are that iām an artist, i also like learning about lgbt history, and im 16 (so please dont be creepy). Iām super excited to start this blog so feel free to ask me anything in my asks (can be Polari-related or not).Ā
#reblog#because apparetnly that helps people see your stuff#i still dont know how tumblr works#polari#polarislang#thepolariperson#lgbt history#lgbt#gay history#lingusitics#the secret language of gay people
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For you gender identity you can call your self anĀ āomiā(man), or a āpaloneā(woman).
Unfortunately because Polari was created before many labels such as nonbinary, pansexual, etc. where created there arenāt Polari words for every queer identity.
The closest thing to ātransā would be āremouldā, the Polari word for āsex changeā.
There is no Polari word for nonbinary but if someone asked you you could say you areĀ ānanti-binaryā or haveĀ ānanti-gender.
āNantiā is a general polari negator term, so you can use it in place of words like ānotā,Ā ānoā,Ā ādontā, etc.
Are you in the life?
What better way to start learning the secret language of gay people than learning the Polari words for āIām gayā?
Personally my favorite way to say gay is āIn the lifeā.
Maybe its just a matter of personal preference but i just think āAre you in the life?ā is such a cool way to ask someone if they are lgbt.
Other ways to say gay are āon the teamā, āblueā, āsoā, and āboldā*.
*According to Paul Bakerās research on Polari, bold meansĀ āaudaciously gayā orĀ āunpleasantā, so I would stick to the other three for defining sexuality.
to get a bit more specific, some words meaning bisexual areĀ ābibiā,Ā āac/dcā (can also mean a couple), and finally āversatileāĀ
If you are a lesbian you can call your self aĀ āpalone-omiā (the literal translation being woman-man),Ā
and if you are a gay man you can call your self aĀ āomi-paloneā ( the literal translation being man-woman).
Personally palone-omi and omi-palone are not my favorite terms, but the only other Polari word used to describe lesbians is d*ke, which im sure most of us already know as a slur.Ā
However there are other words for gay men, such asĀ āfruitā andĀ āfairyā, I think many of us have heard these are well.
(you can read this post for a quick summary of what Polari is)
#polari slang#polari#thepolariperson#lgbt history#gay history#lingustics#nonbinary#trans#gender#genderqueer
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If you are looking for a summary on Polari with more information than what is provided in this post, i highly recommend this video. They do a good job summing up the points of Polari and I found it entertaining to watch.Ā
youtube
If you want to here some examples of Polari being used in conversation, the short film, āPutting on the Dishā, is good example of how Polari would have been used at the peak of its popularity in London.Ā
youtube
30 notes
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Text
Are you in the life?
What better way to start learning the secret language of gay people than learning the Polari words for āIām gayā?
Personally my favorite way to say gay is āIn the lifeā.
Maybe its just a matter of personal preference but i just think "Are you in the life?" is such a cool way to ask someone if they are lgbt.
Other ways to say gay are "on the team", "blue", "so", and "bold"*.
*According to Paul Bakerās research on Polari, bold meansĀ āaudaciously gayā orĀ āunpleasantā, so I would stick to the other three for defining sexuality.
to get a bit more specific, some words meaning bisexual areĀ ābibiā,Ā āac/dcā (can also mean a couple), and finally āversatileāĀ
If you are a lesbian you can call your self aĀ āpalone-omiā (the literal translation being woman-man),Ā
and if you are a gay man you can call your self aĀ āomi-paloneā ( the literal translation being man-woman).
Personally palone-omi and omi-palone are not my favorite terms, but the only other Polari word used to describe lesbians is d*ke, which im sure most of us already know as a slur.Ā
However there are other words for gay men, such asĀ āfruitā andĀ āfairyā, I think many of us have heard these are well.
(you can read this post for a quick summary of what Polari is)
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Bona to Vada your Dolly Old Eke!
Bona to Vada your Dolly old Eke! this is easily the most famous phrase in Polari, meaningĀ āGood to See Your Pretty old Face'.
'Bona'(adjective) means good, or well. I've also seen it used in place of "pretty" but its primary meaning is "good".
'Vada' (verb) to see, to look, etc.
'Dolly'(adjective) smart or attractive. I believe this is also common British slang today, but im not sure.
Eke (noun) eke is short for ecaf, meaning "face". This one is easy for me to remember because ecaf comes from backslang (when you spell/say a word backwards).
Anyways, now you know how to tell someone how bona it is to vada their dolly eke!
(if you dont know what Polari is,this post will give you a short summary)
#polari#polarislang#thepolariperson#Bona to Vada your Dolly old Eke!#lgbt#lgbtq#gayhistory#the secret language of gay people
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Boyno! Iām Perry, I use any pronouns, and i have a huge passion for all things queer. One of those things that Iām hoping to share and teach is Polari.Ā
For anyone who doesnāt know, Polari is the āsecret language of gay peopleā, it is/was a dialect used by queer folk in London, in the early to mid 1900s.Ā
Polari was used mostly by gay men to identify each other, communicate, evade the police (because being gay was illegal at the time), but it also became a big part of gay culture.Ā
Polari is made up of a large variety of languages of slangs, ranging from Yiddish, to back-slang, to Cant, and many more.Ā
Unfortunately it began to die out mid to late 1900s, the primary reason for this being that being queer was becoming more socially acceptable and there was no use to hide anymore.
I myself know quite a bit of Polari and I want to share my knowledge on it. Iāve been studying it for while and Iām continuing to learn about it. I want to make learning Polari not only easy and accessible, but fun and engaging. So i figure what better way to start than with a tumblr?Ā
Some other things about me are that iām an artist, i also like learning about lgbt history, and im 16 (so please dont be creepy). Iām super excited to start this blog so feel free to ask me anything in my asks (can be Polari-related or not).Ā
#polari#thepolariperson#polarislang#lgbt#lgbtq#linguistics#gayhistory#lesbian#genderqueer#what else do i tag#homosexuals i summon you#british queers come learn your native tongue#im an american without a time machine and that makes me very sad#i forgot to mention but boyno is a polari word meaning hello#the most famous phrase in polari is 'Bona to Vada your Dolly old Eke'#and that is also a greeting meaning 'Good to see your pretty old face'#which is what i was orginally going to say but im not seeing anyones face because it is tumblr so it didnt make sense
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