Fantabulosa: A Dictionary of Polari and Gay Slang [Paperback]

Paul Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0826473431 | ISBN-13: 978-0826473431

Polari has been the secret language of gay men and women through the twentieth century. But more than a language, Polari is an attitude. From the prisons and music halls of Edwardian England to Kenneth Williams, American Gls in London and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Polari has been used to laugh, bitch, gossip and cruise. Like all slang, Polari users coined an ever-changing vocabulary. Derived from words used by criminals, circus artists, beggars and prostitutes, it also employed Italian, Yiddish, French, rhyming slang and backslang. Polari speakers camped up a storm, from West End chorus boys and office workers to East End sea-queens. Since gay liberation, lesbian and gay slang has become less a language of concealment than a language of specialization, though the tradition of camp remains. A carefully researched and entertaining read, Fantabulosa presents a lexicon of Polari and a more general dictionary of lesbian and gay slang. If you don't yet know what vada the bona cartes on the ommee ajax, parkering ninty, a Mexican nightmare or a nellyectomy mean, then this is the book for you.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Simply Fantabulosa! ... Definitely worth a vada ... an ideal pressy for your omee Palone!! So get out your handbag and get trollin to the shops!' SCOTSGAY MAGAZINE

"This great little book [is]... an indispensible guide... a must-have for every discerning gay man's library"

(Boyz )

"This great little book [is]... an indispensible guide... a must-have for every discerning gay man's library"

(, )

About the Author

Paul Baker is Senior Lecturer in Linguistics and Modern English language at Lancaster University, UK.

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (May 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826473431
• ISBN-13: 978-0826473431
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #939,045 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Polari and Gay Slang, August 12, 2008

By 

T. James Black "James Black" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Dictionary of Polari & Gay Slang (Hardcover)

The book starts with a sizable entry on Polari and words within it, then the rest is just your basic dictionary of slang words in the LGBT and attached communities (bear, BDSM, L/L, etc). If you're already acclimated to gay culture, it might suit you fine to look at some websites on Polari (if that's what you're looking for) and non-local gay slang. If you're not in the community and writing an LGBT character or something similar, I think this would be a good primer on what kind of culture and language you're looking at.