18+: Polari was a secret jargon used by British gay men in t…

Question

Did you know? Polari was a secret jargon used by British gay men in the 20th century — especially in the 1930s-1960s when homosexuality was still criminal. It mixed Italian, Romani slang, Cockney rhyming slang and theatre lingo. Outsiders had no idea what you were saying — which was the point.

Accepted Answer

Polari was a secret jargon used by British gay men in the 20th century — especially in the 1930s-1960s when homosexuality was still criminal. It mixed Italian, Romani slang, Cockney rhyming slang and theatre lingo. Outsiders had no idea what you were saying — which was the point.

Polari was een geheime jargon van Britse homo's in de 20e eeuw — vooral in de jaren 1930-1960 toen homoseksualiteit nog strafbaar was. Het mengde Italiaans, Romani-zigeunertaal, Cockney rijmslang en theaterjargon. Niet-sprekers hadden geen idee waar je het over had — precies de bedoeling.

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