POLARI–ENGLISH DICTIONARY
(A–C)
Past and present participles and adverbs (as well as comparative and superlative forms of adjectives) are listed under the relevant rootword when expanding upon the English or when the English equivalent is irregularly formed. Proposed Polari words or markers are indicated by an asterisk, while special usage is indicated by a degree sign (°). Note that “filler” words or English vocabulary spelled according to Polari orthography are not specially marked. Very occasionally I have had to bowdlerise the English text so that it would pass most Internet filters in public libraries, for otherwise the availability of my endeavors here would be limited.
a1 1 indef. art. a/an. 2 prep. of. — a dha/dhee. of the, used to form adjectives & phrasal ns, where English uses compounds (pelone a dha lati. Note, however, that n. phrases, such as “pelone a dha lati”, are often joc. in nature. A joke is never too far away.) [Eng.]
-a2 agent suff. equivalent to -er (fayka). Note that this is an Anglicism better expressed by the Pola. use of the pres. part. & omi or dona/pelone. [Eng.]
-a3 pron. unstressed variant of hir, added to the end of prepositions & verbs (Ya moudha bati-fangda; see Morphology). [Eng.]
abbigayl n. abortion. — akt an abbigayl. perform an abortion. [Gayle “Abigail”; Chambers defines an “abigail” as a lady’s-maid.]
abeot adv./prep. about. [Eng.]
adarjhio* n. (pl. -ze). (a) saying, proverb, maxim (adarjhioze a dha saviizmo, wise sayings); (b) motto. [Frenchified pronunciation of It. “adagio”.]
afeyr n. (a) person in a gay relationship; (b) casual male sexual partner: pick-up. [Eng. “affair(e)”, orig. from Fr.]
afeyrimento* n. (a) casual affair or sex: affair; (b) relationship (baj afeyrimento, long-term relationship)
Agausto* n. August. [Corruption of It. “agosto”.]
agro* adj. bitter; see jageri-agro. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “agro”, sour, acid, harsh, sharp, pungent, tart, with semantic confusion between sour & bitter.]
agro-akwa* n. (always in sing.). bitters
akchwel adj. actual. akchwellimentay. actually, really. — yor akchwel. (intensifier) a real° (yor akchwel krokes). [Eng.; Baker explains that the characters Julian & Sandy, in “Round the Horne”, used the phrase “your actual” for (campy) emphasis or sophistication, giving the examples, “that’s your actual French” (56) & “we are your actual homeopathic practitioners” (61). Brewer’s also refers to Julian and Sandy (1454)]
akoy* 1 adj. present. 2 adv. (a) [= dhis akoy] here; (b) [= dhat akoy] there. 2 conj. where. — akoy-so? where? enni akoy. anywhere. evri akoy. everywhere. narda akoy. absent. nix akoy. nowhere; see [in] ayjax, shay. [Roma. “acoi”, “aukko”; cf., It. “qua”.]
akoy-azz* conj. whereas
akoy-pero* conj. therefore, so. [Hybrid word: Roma. “akoy” & It. “però”, calqued on Eng. “therefore”.]
aksh[w]el variant of akchwel
a/kt 1 n. (pl. -x). (a) act, performance; (b) labo[u]r (dha frute auv wouniz ax). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.; -x 3rd pers.). (a) to act, perform°; (b) to do° (akting diki, [doing] casual, part-time or temporary work). akting. (a) (i) doing, performing, activity°, goings-on°: performance; (ii) performance (of actor, athlete, etc.); (b) deed°. — akt nanti. do nothing. akt oup. act up: perform. [Eng.]
aktimento* n. performance (of a play, etc.)
akw/a n. (rare in pl. -ez). 1 water (berri enni akwa). 2 (a) juice; (b) fruit juice. [Parly., from It. “acqua”, ultimately Lat. “aqua”.]
akwa-virdi* adj. aquamarine
akwerosa* adj. juicy
alaung prep. along; see in nex. [Eng.]
alay* adv./prep. down. [Roma. “aley”; cf., “tulé”, “tuley”, under.]
Allemo! voc. equivalent to “I’m hot for you!” [Supposedly from the initials LMO: i.e., “Lick Me Out” (Baker, 11); any connection with the Alamo is fanciful; see in etymology for “Vaf!” for further discussion on acronyms.]
alli-appel n. excrement, faeces, shit [facet.]). [Gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
allora* adv. in that case: now [then], and now. [It. “allora”.]
ambre/l* n. (pl. -rlz). pear. [Roma. “ambról”.]
amoung prep. among; see in barni. [Eng.]
an1 variant of a 1 (which see), used before ns beginning with a V. [Eng.]
an2 unstressed variant of ann (which see)
anauntz* 1 n. (pl. -iz). ad[vert(isement)], commercial. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to announce. [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “annonce”; cf., Eng. “announcement”.]
anauntzimento* n. (pl. -ze). announcement
ank/a* n. (pl. -ez). hip. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “anca”.]
ankora* adv. 1 again. 2 back [again] (shay n’u ankora, back home [again]); see daus. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “ancora”.]
ann1 1 stressed variant of a 1 (which see), used before ns beginning with a V. 2 conj. and. [Eng.]
an/n*2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d, brought; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to bring. — ann in. bring in: import (ann in fa dha p’uchiz a dha charpering omiz, bring or take in for questioning; ann in zee, bring to mind, remember; Ann in zee ya mouj! Don’t forget [i.e., remember] your hat!; nix ann in zee, forget). ann oup. bring up (all senses: ann oup wouniz betti namyari, bring up one’s breakfast); see tarda. [Roma. “an”.]
anti* adv./prep. before (all senses); see in medza-dives. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “ante”.]
ar1 n. letter R (ar). [Eng.]
ar2 see in bee1
-ar3 suff. (marking the comparative degree of adjs & advs: -er, more (bennar). Note that -ar is added to polysyllabic adjs, including those with an existing adj. desin. (e.g., nellichudinoserar, more effeminate); see moultiar, in moulti; Morphology, above. [Eng. “ -er”.]
-arda* n. suff.denoting (a) the fill of or (b) containing: -ful. Morphology as for -arjhio; see in plenni. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “-ata”.]
arfta adv. (a) after; see in medza-dives; (b) later. [Eng.]
arfta-medz/a* n. (pl. -ez). afternoon. — dhis arfta-medza. this afternoon. lars arfta-medza. yesterday afternoon. nex arfta-medza. tomorrow afternoon. [Hybrid word: Eng. “after” & Pola. “medza”, calqued on Fr. “après-midi”.]
-arjhio* suff. equivalent to -age, -hood, -ship, -ness (of colors); see Morphology, above. [Frenchified pronunciation of It. “ -aggio”; i.e., “-age”.]
armernrau/k n. (pl. -x). 1 sock. 2 sheath° (armernrauk fa dha bagaja/kartz[o], condom). [Cockney rhyming slang “almond rock”, i.e., sock, listed in Baker.]
arnt part. do (used for emphasis: Arnt tip ya moudhez bona lavz tu yor arnti. Do give my best wishes to your aunt.). — Arnt nel! see in nel; see nanti. [Eng. “aunt”, conflated with “aren’t”; a backformation of Pola. “aunt nell” (“aunt” unexplained in Baker).]
arnti n. 1 older, usually gay, man [joc.]. 2 aunt[ie]°. [Gay slang “auntie”; Chambers lists “aunt” as, apart from its primary meaning, an old woman, gossip, procuress or someone one can turn to for sympathy, etc.]
arnt-nel[li] = nel[li]. [Hybrid word: Eng. “aunt” & Pola. “nel(li)”; “aunt” unexplained in this context; cf., arnti above.]
arnt-nelli-fay/k = nelli-fayk. [Pola.]
arris 1 adj. 1 anal°. 2 old° (not new any more, esp. pej.: Dhat arris jedu! That old trick!). 2 n. (pl. -iz). (a) rump°, buttock; (b) anus°, arse (firmayd arris, shut butt). — orda arris ova. trip [over]°. [Parly., from Cockney rhyming slang, listed in Baker & Chambers. According to Baker, arris is arrived at through the following concatenation: “From ‘arse’ we get ‘bottle and glass’(.) From ‘bottle’ we get ‘(A)ristotle’, and from ‘aristotle’ we get ‘aris’.” (11–12).]
arris-* pref. (n.-forming with ns) denoting (a) pej. state; (b) disparaging or disreputable condition; (c) contemptible or ridiculous state or status; (d) rude or unpleasant situation; (e) undesired attribute or inferior state, status or quality; or (f) lack of function. [Preceding; cf., Fr. pej. suff. “-asse” or It. “-accio”.]
arris-arnti* n. crotchety old gay man: old queen
arris-barkiing cheet* n. [old] tub
arris-dooka* n. bad luck
arris-founges* n. crotchety old man: [old] bastard
arris-karnish* n. 1 rump (meat). 2 bad or rotten meat
arris-keb’ushe* n. [old] bomb
arris-krokes* n. charlatan, quack[salver]
arris-m’ui* n. pout. — fayk dhee arris-m’ui/dha harris-m’ui. pull a face
arris-oysta* n. [sardonic] grin
arris-pandora* n. criticism (all senses). — fayk dhee arris-pandora abeot/kauntra. criticise, knock
arris-pandorez-omi n. (fem.: arris-pandorez-dona) critic (all senses: arris-pandorez-omi a dha vadering vakarya, television critic)
arris-reir* n. bad hair (dives a dha/bilaung [h]arris-reir, bad hair day).
arris-reir-leik* adj. frightful
arris-sheesh* adj. ridiculous (of appearance)
arris-sheikel* n. [really] bad wig: fright-wig
arris-sheikel-leik* adj. frightful
arris-swishing* adj. ridiculous (of behavior)
-arst* suff. marking the superlative degree of adjs & advs: -est, most (e.g., bennarst, best); see moultiarst, in moulti; Morphology, above. [Eng. “ -est”]
-art see -arst
arte/f* 1 n. (rare pl. -rfs). pardon, forgiveness. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -rft, forgiven; -fing gerund/pres. part.). to pardon, forgive. [Roma. “artav”.]
arteffichude* n. (always in sing.). forgiveness
arteffimento* n. (always in sing.). pardon, forgiveness (instance of)
arth/a 1 n. (pl. -ez) 1 brother°. 2 heterosexual. 3 [= steema homi] active partner in gay sex. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to masturbate. arthering. masturbation (sirkel a dhee arthering, circle jerk). arthering omi. (fem.: arthering pelone) masturbator. [Cockney rhyming slang “J. Arthur Rank”, i.e., wank, listed in Baker & Young; the 1st n. meaning is a corruption of Lat. “frater”; properly, not Pola.]
arv/a 1 n. (rare pl. -ez). sex[ual intercourse]: coitus, copulation. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to copulate. arva a dha loupa. finger-f…. — dha fool [h]arva. anal sex. fayk dhee arva a dha loupa. finger-f…. hav dha harva/ hav dhee arva. to have sex: to copulate. [Parly. Baker says this is probably a truncation of charva (which see). It is amusing to note that Eng. “arval” refers to ploughed land.]
arvibelay* adj. worthy of being a partner in copulation. — narda arvibelay. not worth copulating with
arvichude* n. (always in sing.). coitus, copulation
asarles* 1 adv. [in] this/that manner or way: thus, so. 2 conj. how. — asarles-so? how? enni asarles. anyhow; somehow. evri asarles. in every way. nix asarles. in no way or manner: not […] at all (Shee nix saviz leik dhat asarles. S/he doesn’t think so at all). [Roma. “asarlas”, at all.]
asarlessimento* n. (pl. -ze). fashion, manner, way, style
aseo* adv. also, too; likewise. — azz aseo azz. as well as; see in nix. [Roma. “asau”; cf., Eng. “also” & Fr. “aussi”.]
aspro n. (a) harlot, prostitute, whore; tart°. [Parly. Baker suggests “aspro” derives from “arse pro(stitute)”, but, leaving aside the fact that the first S is the same as US “ass” & not UK “arse”, it is more likely to derive from It. “aspro”, harsh, rough, tart, with the last meaning extended to include the idea of prostitute.]
asprochude* n. (always in sing.). harlotry, prostitution
at unstressed variant of att (which see)
-at see -arst. [Listed in Green, under “bene”.]
atak* 1 n. 1 attack. 2 bout (of illness). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to attack. [Eng. “attack”; cf., It. “attaccare”.]
att prep. at. [Eng.]
auf adv./prep. off. [Eng.]
aufis* n. (pl. -iz). (a) office (all senses); (b) department. — auv dhee aufis. official. [Eng. “office”.]
auf-kining gelt* n phrase. ransom (a kweenz auf-kining gelt, a king’s ransom)
augel variant of ogel
aultimo* 1 adj. latest, ultimate. 2 n. (dhee, always in sing.). the latest, the ultimate. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “ultimo”.]
aultrantz* n. (always in sing.). extreme[s]. — ta dhee aultrantz adv. 1 to the [bitter or very] end, à outrance. 2 to extremes (orda ta dhee aultrantz, go to extremes). [Corruption of It. “oltranza”.]
aultray, in* adv. phrase. in addition: besides, furthermore, moreover. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “inoltre”, written as two words.]
aun prep. on. — aun tu. on to: onto. [Eng.]
aun/k n. (pl. -x). 1 nose (better, eesaung, which see). 2 nostril°. [Pola.; perhaps a contraction of eesaung, or from Eng. slang “conk/konk”(confused with “conch”) or “honk(er)”, nose, or Roma. “nok”, by metathesis.]
ausnitz/a* n. (pl. -ez). user. [Yidd.]
auta num. eight. autito. eighth. autitomentay. eighthly. — auta laung deja. eighty. auta laung dejito. eightieth. auta laung lepta. eighteen. auta laung leptito. eighteenth. [Parly., from It. “otto”.]
Auta-chune* n. October. [auta + Roma. “choon”, moon.]
autito see in auta
auv prep.: stressed form of a (2, which see), used before VV. [Eng.]
av prep.: unstressed form of a (2; which see), used before VV or “h” (av ogel-fayx). [Eng.]
Aveeva! voc. 1 Hurrah! Hurray! Hooray! Huzza! 2 Long live …! (Aveeva dha Kween!). [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “evviva”.]
away 1 adv. 1 away. 2 aside. 2 prep. away from: beyond (away dha gav, country [fair, etc.]). [Eng.; cf., cant “awaste”; i.e., “away” with paragogic “-st”.]
ay1 n. letter A. [Eng.]
ay2 indef. art. stressed variant of a1. [Eng.]
aybrem* adj. nude (aybrem bayning, nude bathing, skinny-dipping). — plenni aybrem. naked (Dha Plenni Aybrem Sivel Sirvernt; plenni aybrem [lukaudi], naked [body]). [Cant “abram”. Perhaps unrelated, Chambers lists “Abram-man” as a “sturdy beggar, esp. one shamming insanity.… Said to be from an Abraham Ward in old Bedlam, London” (4).]
aybrem-kove* n. nude [person] (plenni aybrem-kove, naked person).
aybremmichude* n. (always in sing.). nudity (plenni aybremmichude, nakedness).
aych n. letter H (aitch). [Eng.]
ayjax 1 adj. near[-by]°. 2 adv. [over] there: near-by. — ayjax aun dha drei/sweet. [there] on the left/right; ayjax aun dha soub. down below; see in nab. [Pola.; cf., Scottish & dialectic “ajee”, off the straight (Chambers); Baker suggests Eng. “adjacent” as a possible derivation, & quotes it as an epigraph at the beginning of his “Introduction to the Dictionary of Polari”: “Oh vada well the omee-palone ajax who just trolled in” (1).]
ayjh* 1 n. stay, stop. 2 v. (a) intr. to stay, stop; (b) caus./tr. to stop, quit. — ayjh att. stay at. ayjh oup. keep up: maintain. ayjh tu wouni self. keep to oneself. [Roma. “adge”, “atch” or “az”.]
ayjh-oup* n. (always in sing.). upkeep, maintenance
ayke/l* 1 n. disgust. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -rld, disgusted; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to disgust. [Germ “ekel”.]
aykelosa adj. disgusting, loathesome
Ayprel* n. April. [Eng.]
az unstressed variant of azz (which see)
azz conj./prep./adv. as. [Eng.]
baf* n. (pl. -s). moustache, whisker. [Corruption of It. “baffi”.]
bag see shoosh-bag
bagaj/a n. (pl. -ez). 1 [male] member: penis (or cock, dick, etc.): phallus, membrum virile/virilis. 2 rod. bagajereeni. small penis (or cock, dick, etc.). bagajeroni. big or large penis (or cock, dick, etc.). [Pola.; Baker suggests “bagaggio” [sic], baggage (the correct It. for baggage or luggage is “bagaglio”) for the derivation of this word, perhaps because of the extended meaning in Eng. of “worthless woman” (Chambers). Chambers even takes care to point out that “baggage” is unrelated to “Fr. bagasse, It. bagascia, strumpet”, but Pola. bagaja is undoubtedly derived from It. “bagascia”.]
bagaja-fay/k* n. (pl. -x). cockring. [Patterned on Pola. “nelli-fayk”, earring.]
baj adj. 1 (a) old (all senses: tray baj, ancient: tray baj tasoni, antique vase); (b) long-standing° (feud). 2 [= tray baj] ancient° (Baj Graycha, Ancient Greece). [Pola., from cant “badge”.]
baj-dad* n. grandfather, granddad. [Calqued on Roma. “puro dad”.]
baj-martha* n. grandmother
bajichude* n. (always in sing.). old age
bajimento* n. (always in sing.). oldness
baj-kove n. (a) old or elderly person: elder; (b) old friend°. [Cant “badge cove”.]
baj-kove-leik* adj. elderly
baj-kovichude* = bajichude
balantz/a* n. (pl. -ez). sovereign (coin). [Roma. “balanser”.]
bar1 adj. [undesirably] small, undersized. [Gay slang “baa”, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
bar2* n. 1 stone. 2 metal. 3 variant of bays. [Roma. “bar”, stone(weight).]
barberell/a* 1 adj. funny, odd, strange, eccentric, bizarre. barberella homi or pelone. oddball, eccentric. 2 n. (pl. -ez). beard. [JB, from It. “barba”, beard, conflated with the camp classic Barbarella. According to Chambers, “bizarre” ultimately derives from the Basque “bizarra”, beard (Littré, in addition, also mentions Ar. “bâshâret”, beauty).]
barbi n. Barbie® [facet.]). [Gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
barbr/a n. (pl. -ez). heterosexual [male]; see naf. [Gayle.]
barki 1 n. sailor, seaman (barkiz eefinkoni, cutlass). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to sail. barkiing. sailing. barkiing cheet. boat (barkiing cheet with a slayt/dha slaytz, sail[ing]-boat; barkiing cheetz slayt, sail). barkiing cheeteeni. small boat. barkiing cheetoni. large boat. barkiing omi. boatman. [Eng./Fr. “barque”, It. “barca”, boat; cf., Roma. “berro”, ship or hulk, esp. for convicts.]
barl* 1 adj. pertaining to] wool: woollen (barl faykimento fa dha letti). 2 n. (always in sing.). wool. barleeni. felt. [Roma. “bal”, hair, conflated with Eng. “bale”; Borrow gives “Tibetian (sic), Bal (wool)”.]
barli* adj. woolly
barlimento* n. (always in sing.). woolliness
barni n. fight, quarrel. barni a dha lavz. altercation, argument, dispute (barni a dha lavz amoung dha kovze nex bor, neighbo[u]rhood dispute). — hav a barni. [have a] fight, [have a] quarrel. hav a barni a dha lavz. have an altercation, argument or a dispute, have words. leo dha barni. lodge a complaint. tip dha barni. complain. tiping dha barni. complaining, complaint. [Eng. colloquialism “barney”, listed in Baker as well as Chambers; properly, not Pola.]
barosa* adj. stony
bas* variant of bays
bat 1 n. variant of bayt. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to dance on stage: to do the shuffle; see waulep. [Pola.]
bata, dha n. (always in sing.). the game: prostitution. — bee aun dha bata. to prostitute oneself, walk the streets (as a prostitute): be on the game. orda aun dha bata. prostitute oneself: walk the streets: be on the game (U nix orda aun dha bata shay akoy, tachi? You’re not from around here, are you?). [Pola., probably connected with “bat”, shoe (not to mention the famous Bata shoe manufacturers); cf., It. “battere”, to beat or knock (see following), or Eng. “batter”, with the connotation of violence.]
bateri 1 n. 1 bang[ing]° (on the door, nail, etc.). 2 heavy blow: bash°, battering, beating, (loosely) punch°; see bati-poke. baterileeni. knock. 2 v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) intr. v. to knock; (b) tr. v. to knock down: 1 to bang with the fists°. 2 (a) to bash°, batter°, beat°, (loosely) punch°; (b) to [hit with a] hammer. baterid. bashed°, battered°, beaten°. bateriing. bashing, battering, beating. bateriing cheet [fa dhee neirz]. hammer. bateriing kauntra dha kweer-kovze. poofter-bashing, queer-bashing. — bateri ova. knock over; see [in] Bateri-karsi, bati-fang, etc., firikaduza. [Pola., from It. “battere”, to beat or knock.]
Bateri-karsi! voc. [substandard]: (a) [= (Enni wouniz faykt a) bati att dha geiga!] [There’s a] knock at the door!; (b) [= Bati, bati!] Knock, knock!° [Listed in Young.]
bati* 1 n. 1 variant of bateri; see also in Bateri-karsi. 2 push[ing]° (all senses). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to push (bati enni wouni gerbreobelaymentay, browbeat someone). — bati away. push aside or away. [Pola.; doublet of bateri.]
bati-brays* 1 n. pushing and shoving, jostling, argy-bargy (during an argument or fight or in a crowd). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to push and shove: to jostle (during a fight or in a crowd). [Patterned on “bati-fang”; the hyphen follows Nu-Pola. usage.]
bati-elbo* 1 n. elbow[ing] (during a fight). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to elbow (during a fight). [Patterned on “bati-fang”; the hyphen follows Nu-Pola. usage.]
bati-fang 1 n. bite or hit, or both° (during a fight). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to bite and hit or hit and bite [joc./pej.]: to bite or hit, or both (during a fight). [Hybrid word: It. “battere”, to beat or knock, & Eng. “fang”; the hyphen follows Nu-Pola. usage.]
bati-fangichude* n. aggression
bati-fangichudinosa* adj. aggressive
bati-jin* 1 n. kneeing (during a fight). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to knee (during a fight: bati-jin enni wouni in dha kaudz, knee someone in the groin). [Patterned on “bati-fang”; the hyphen follows Nu-Pola. usage.]
bati-lali* 1 n. kick (during a fight). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to kick (during a fight). [Patterned on “bati-fang”; the hyphen follows Nu-Pola. usage.]
bati-lap/a* 1 n. slap (during a fight). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to slap (during a fight: bati-lapa a dha bitayn, bitch-slap). [Patterned on “bati-fang”; the hyphen follows Nu-Pola. usage.]
bati-m’ui* 1 n. bickering. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to bicker. [Calqued on It. “battibecco”, undoubtedly the model for Pola. “bati-fang”; the hyphen follows Nu-Pola. usage.]
bati-nab* 1 n. headbutt (during a fight). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to headbutt (during a fight). [Patterned on “bati-fang”; the hyphen follows Nu-Pola. usage.]
bati-neir* 1 n. scratch (during a fight). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to scratch [with one’s nails] (during a fight: bati-neir erbree enni wouniz ogerlz, scratch someone’s eyes out). [Patterned on “bati-fang”; the hyphen follows Nu-Pola. usage.]
bati-pok/e* 1 n. blow with a fist: fisticuff, punch (during a fight). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -’t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to punch (during a fight). [Patterned on “bati-fang”; the hyphen follows Nu-Pola. usage.]
baub* n. bean. [Roma. “bob”.]
bauberi* 1 n. (always in sing.). (a) hue and cry, commotion, noise, disturbance, din, row, hubbub, racket; (b) cry, shout. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to cry out, shout [out]. — fayk a bauberi. make a commotion, racket, etc. [A.-Ind. “bobbery”; Yule explains it also appears as Pidgin Eng., from Cantonese “pa-pi”, noise.]
baudayga see boteek. [Baker’s pronunciation.]
bauk/a* 1 adj. hungry (chaulo[mentay] bauka, starving [usu. facet.]). 2 n. hunger. [Corruption of Roma. “boccalo”, “buklo”; cf., It. “bocca”, mouth.]
baul/a* 1 adj. baptismal (caps: Baula chal, Christian; Baula … bilaung Roma, Catholic; Baula chal bilaung Roma, Roman Catholic; Baula rashi, Christianity). — bilaung Baula chalz. Christian; see meyri. 2 n. (pl. -ez). baptism. 3 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to baptise. Baulering omi. (fem.: Baulering pelone) baptist/Baptist. [Roma. “bolla”.]
bauldantza* n. (always in sing). boldness, self-reliance, [self-]confidence. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “baldanza”.]
bauldantzerosa* adj. (a) bold, self-assured, self-reliant, [self-]confident; (b) cocky, haughty
baunch n. (pl. -iz). perinaeum. [Gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
baush1 intr. v. to drill a hole (esp. glory-hole or peep-hole in the partition-wall of a public toilet, for sexual purposes). [Gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
baush2* n. (pl. -iz). fiddle, violin. [Roma. “bashadi”, “bosh”; cf., Eng. “bosh”.]
baush-[chaumeni-]cheet* n. drill
bausta* adj. illegitimate (bausta feeli, illegitimate child: bastard). [Truncation of Roma. “bostaris”; cf., Eng. “bastard”.]
bausta-[h]omi* n. (fem.: bausta-pelone). bastard (all senses)
bauvelo* adj. rich (all senses), wealthy. [Roma. “bovalo”.]
bauvelochude* adj. wealth
bauvelomento* n. (always in sing.). richness (all senses), wealth (of ideas, etc.), wealthiness
bau/x n. (pl. -iz). (a) (i) bottom (all senses); (ii) back of sth (geiga a dha baux, back door, extended to the following); (b) posterior, backside, bum, arse. [Pola., from Eng. slang “box”, female genitals.]
bayjh adj. beige [facet.]). [Gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
bayn* 1 n. bath[tub]. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to [take or have a] bath, bathe. bayning chovi. bathroom. [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “bain”.]
bays* n. (pl. -iz). dollar (baysiz an saultiz, dollars and cents; daycha baysiz, ten dollars; roze bays). [Roma. “bas”, pound sterling; Borrow derives this word from Wal. “pes”, weight, burden.]
bayt n. shoe (bayt a dha greiz, horse-shoe; fayking omi/pelone a dha baytz, shoemaker). [Pola. “bate”, a paronym of “bat”.]
bee1 aux./intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d or -n; -ing gerund/pres. part.; alternatively, ya moudha iz/wauz/wil bee, u ar/wir/wil bee, shee iz/wauz/wil bee, ya moudhez ar/wir/wil bee, dhay ar/wir/wil bee). 1 to be (Sheez yauki, chaumeni u nix ar/bee. [S]he’s clever, something you’re not.). 2 to belong (regular conjugation only: Ya moudha beez akoy with u). — bee auv. belong to. — Heo ar-u? How are you? [Eng.]
bee2 n. letter B (bee). [Eng.]
beebee* n. 1 (a) (i) aunt; (ii) lady (as the transvestite Emily Howard in “Little Britain” claimed to be); (b) term of address for, esp. older, gay man or lesbian. 2 [= bibi] bisexual. [A.-Ind. “beebee” & Roma. “bebee”, but found in many languages, including Indon. (through Ar.). Yule derives this word from Hind. “bîbî”, a lady (78); Borrow also gives Russ. “baba”, grandmother, old woman, hag, & “Baba Yagâ, the female demon of the Steppes” (19), which is related to the Yidd. “buba”, an affectionate term for one’s grandmother.]
bee-em-ku n. person who is not openly gay: closet-queen, closet case. bee-em-kude. closeted. [From the initials BMQ: i.e., “Black Market Queen” (Baker, 16); properly, not Pola.]
beeflat adj. fat, plump (a beeflat omi; narnerautela ann a pogee beeflat, thickset, stocky). [Cockney rhyming slang “B-flat”, i.e., fat, listed in Baker;beeflat, although properly not Pola., is considered one word in Pola.]
beejhu 1 adj. little (in a positive sense), small [and elegant], compact (beejhu betti, cute little; a bona beejhu keb’ushe, a nice little car). 2 n. (pl. -ze). jewel, trinket (fayking omi/pelone a dha beejhuze, jewellery-maker: jeweller). beejhuleeni. tiny (tray beejhuleeni, teen[s]y-ween[s]y. [Pola., from Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “bijou”, jewel, used widely in colloquial Eng. to mean “small and elegant”.]
bee/k 1 n. (pl. -x). judge, magistrate, justice. 2 (a) intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -king gerund/pres. part.; -x 3rd pers.). to judge°; (b) tr. v. to sentence° (bee beekt ta dui beshiz in dha keyr fa dha lagz, be sentenced to two years’/two years in prison). [Pola., found in Chambers, although from Pedlars’ Fr., according to Baker; Chambers also gives the slang meaning of “headmaster”.]
beekichude* n. (always in sing.). justice
beekimento* n. (a) judg[e]ment (all senses) (katevva beekimento, poor judgement); (b) sentence
been1* adj. young (been kove, young person). [Backformation from Pola. “beancove” (written as such in Baker).]
been2 see in bee1
beenichude* n. (always in sing.). youth[fulness]
beenichudinosa* adj. youthful
beenimento* n. (always in sing.). youngness
been-kove n. young person: youth. [Pola., from cant, according to Baker.]
been-kovichude* = beenichude
beeoni variant of beeyoni
beerd n. beard [facet.]). [Gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
beertris* 1 n. (pl. -iz) eavesdropper. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to eavesdrop. beertrising omi. (fem.: beertrising dona/-pelone) eavesdropper. [Gayle “Beatrice”.]
beeyoni n. 1 shilling [hist.]. 2 by extension, (a) [any] coin°; (b) (-z). small change°: silver° (as in coins) ; cf., deena. [Parly. “beone”, “bianc”, “bionc”, “beyonek”, “beyong”, perhaps from It. “bianco”, white; i.e., silver. Lucas (109), however, translates “bionc” as “penny”.]
beeyoni-bar* n. silver. — a [dha] beeyoni-bar. of silver: silver (marteeni a [dha] beeyoni-bar, silver ring). [Calqued on “gooldo-bar”, gold (not a genuine Roma. term).]
beloni n. (always in sing.). baloney, bullshit, nonsense, rubbish. — Beloni! Baloney! Bullshit! Nonsense! Rubbish! [Eng./US slang “baloney”, from “Bologna” (sausage), listed in Chambers as well as Baker; properly, not Pola.]
ben adj. (a) good (as in kind or exemplary: a ben kove, a good friend); (b) well-behaved°, virtuous°; (c) benevolent°, kind°. bennar. better. bennarst. best. bennimentay. well (bennimentay baj, venerable); see bona. [Pola., from It. “bene”, well. Green lists “bene”as underworld slang, with comparative and superlative forms (see -at).]
bengree* n. waistcoat. [Roma.]
ben-kove n. [close or good] friend: intimate°. [Pola., listed in Green (“bene cove”) as a “good fellow” or “fellow criminal”.]
ben-kove-leik* adj. close, intimate, friendly. — bee ben-kove-leik with. get along or on with
ben-koul* see ben-kove. [Eng. underworld slang, listed in Green (“bene cull).]
bennar see in ben
bennay variant of ben
bennaymentay* variant of bennimentay (which see, in ben).
bennichude* n. (always in sing.). (a) goodness; (b) good behavio[u]r; (c) benevolence; kindness
bennichudinosa* pleon. adj. (a) good; (b) benevolent, kind
bennimento* n. (always in sing.). goodness, a kindness, favo[u]r. — fayk a bennimento. do a favo[u]r
beot unstressed variant of abeot
berri* 1 n. drink (esp. non-alcoholic: a berri av akwa, a drink of water; a berri a [dha] jarva, a drink or [loosely] cup of coffee). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to drink, imbibe. berriing. drinking. — berri a kakeling fart. suck [on] an egg. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “bere”, to drink.]
berribelay* adj. drinkable. — narda berribelay. undrinkable
berri-cheet*. drinking vessel: cup or glass; see tas. berri-cheetoni. pitcher, pot (berri-cheetoni fa dha char, teapot)
besh1* n. (pl. -iz). 1 year. 2 age (all senses: Soze ya besh? How old are you? [lit., What’s your age?] Ya moudhez dui laung deja in beshiz. I’m twenty [years old]. Shee wauz a feeli-homi auv reon dui laung deja beshiz. He was a young man of around twenty [years of age].). — in wouniz besh. in one’s time, back in the day; see in medza. [Roma. “be(r)sh”.]
besh2* 1 adj. pertaining to sitting. 2 n. sitting [down]. 3 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to sit [down]. [Roma.]
besh-cheet* n. chair, seat (hei besh-cheet, stool). — lel a besh-cheet. take a chair or seat. [Calqued on Roma. “besh-engri”.]
beshimento* n. (pl. -ze). session
bett/a* n. (a) beet; (b) [= lala betta] beetroot. [Corruption of It. “bietola”; cf., Eng. “beet”.]
betti1* 1 adj. little, small (tray betti, very small, tiny, teensy-weensy). 2 n. bit; see pogee. [Eng. “petty”, Fr. “petit”, little, or Roma. “beti”; Borrow gives “beti”, little, small, as well as “bitti”, a small piece, a little, & explains that the word is not true Roma.]
betti2* 1 n. jemmy or jimmy, crowbar. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to jemmy. [Cant.]
bevois /bevwar/ fanciful variant, in mock Fr. orthography, of bevvi 1
bevve/l* n. (rare pl. -rlz). wind. [Roma. “bavol”, “beval”.]
bevvel-cheet* n. ghost, phantom. [Calqued on Roma. “bavol-engro”.]
bevveli* adj. wind-blown: windy
bevverarda (irregular) variant of bevvi 2
bevvi 1 n. 1 drink, esp. beer, booze°, liquor°, lush°, piss° (a bevvi a [lala] plaunk, a drink of [red] wine). 2 (a) drinking bout°: binge°, carousal°; (b) [= ken fa dha bevviing] pub[lic house], tippling-house°. 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d, drunk[en]; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to drink [alcohol (to excess)]: to imbibe°, tipple°. bevvid. drunk[en] (bevvid omi/pelone, drunk man/woman: drunk[ard], lush). bevviing. drinking. — bee aun dha bevvi. be on the piss. lel bevvid. get drunk or pissed; see berri. [Pola., from It. “bevere”, a variant of “bere”, to drink; cf.,. beverage; “bevvied” & “bevvy” are listed in Collins Robert.]
bevvibelay* adj. drinkable. — narda bevvibelay. undrinkable
bevvi-cheet*. (a) hop; (b) (pl. -z). hops
bevvi-[h]omi = bevvid omi (which see, in bevvi)
bibi 1 adj. bi[sexual]. 2 n. bi[sexual]; see beebee. [Pola.]
bibichude* n. (always in sing.). bisexuality
bifi n. biffy [facet.]). [Canadian gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
bilaung prep. of [the] (esp. in dates, time & proper ns: dha kwortito bilaung Ulo, the fourth of July; bilaung Parree, Parisian). Note that, as just one instance of its use is cited in Baker (see in frauk), it may be inferred that this was not originally a feature of Pola. per se, but used instead for comic effect; see laung. [Eng. “belong”, as “bil(l)ong”, one of the most common preps of Neo-Melan. (Tok Pisin or, formerly, Pidgin Eng.). “Frock billong lallies” is the only use of bilaung listed in Baker (“[a]dapted from Tok Pisin” [30]).]
bilidu n. (pl. -ze). (a) love-letter; (b) [any informal] letter°; see rooka. [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “billet-doux”, listed in Baker.]
bilioni* num. (a) a or one billion (UK or US); (b) marker for the “billions”, used in conjunction with laung (which see: daycha laung bilioni, 10 billion). Note that as bilioni means one billion, “’una laung bilioni” is a pleonasm best avoided. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “bilione”]
bimf n. (always in sing.). (a) lavatory or toilet paper; (b) [official] papers or documents [pej.] (Sheez bimf! It’s official!). bimf fa dha giliz. newspaper, “rag”. [Pola., with V change from Eng. slang “bumf” or “bumph”, short for “bum-fodder” (Chambers).]
bin1 n. (-z, always in pl.). glasses, spectacles. [Pola.]
bin2* 1 adj. pertaining to selling. 2 n. sale. 3 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d, sold; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to sell. bining omi. (fem.: bining dona/-pelone, saleswoman) salesman, seller, shopkeeper (bining omi/dona a dha bevviz, publican; bining omi/dona a dha karnish, butcher; bining omi/dona fa dha simering, pawnbroker; Meyr av a Bining Omi [Miller] Death of a Salesman; vaygeriing bining omi, travelling salesman). — bin pir dha karning. 1 auction [att dha ken fa dha karning]. 2 auction [off]. [Roma. “bikhin”, “bin”.]
bin-ken* n. shop. bin-ken fa dha karnish. butcher[’s (shop)]. bin-ken fa dha panem. bakery, baker[’s]
binko 1 adj. kerosine. 2 n. (pl. -ze). 1 [kerosine] flare. 2 flame°. — binko oup. flare [up] (including temper), burst into flames. [Pola.; Baker gives It. “binco” (sic), i.e., “bianco”, white.]
binko-worta* n. kerosine
bitayn n. 1 harlot, prostitute, whore. 2 bitch° (male or female). — fayk dha bitayn abeot. bitch about. [Pola. “bitaine”; cf., Fr. “bit(t)e”, slang for cock.]
bitaynichude* n. 1 (a) (always in sing.). harlotry, prostitution; (b) orgy; see in mounjariarjhio. 2 bitchiness
bitwix* prep. between, betwixt. [Eng.]
biz n. (always in sing.). heterosexual sex. — du dha biz. have sex, do it. [Gay slang “biz”, from “business” by extension, listed in Baker; properly, not Pola.]
blag tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). pick s.o. up (for sex). blagd omi. (fem.: blagd pelone) pick-up. [Pola.]
blarzay* adj. high-class, posh, up-market. [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “blasé”.]
blarzay-kween n. gay man drawn to an up-market scene. [Pola.]
bleet* intr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to bleat. bleeting cheet. sheep (bleeting omi-cheet, ram; bleeting pelone-cheet, ewe). [Cant.]
bleeting-cheet-leik* adj. sheepish
blu* 1 adj. blue (Blu Velvet). 2 n. (pl. -ze). blue. [Eng.]
bluarjhio* n. (always in sing.). blueness
B.M.Q. = bee-em-ku
bodeega variant of boteek
bolde adj. (a) suggestive of homosexuality: bold (restricted meaning); (b) not nice or pleasant: unpleasant (a bolde pelone a dha lati, an unpleasant landlady). [Eng.; cited at some length in Baker.]
bol/e* n. (pl. -ze). snail. [Roma. “baul”, “bowle”.]
boles n. (pl. -iz). chemist, pharmacist. — a dha boles. chemist or pharmacist (shop, etc.); see krokes. [Eng./Lat. “bolus”, a large pill; listed in Baker, who writes that “(o)riginally, a seventeenth century word referring to any form of medicine that came as a rounded pill”.]
bona 1 adj. (a) good (of health,quality, etc.); (b) nice° (bona dish/eek/eekaf, nice arse/face/photo); (c) sound°, valid°. 2 adv. [= bonimentay] well (bona vardering, good-looking, attractive, handsome.“O varda bona dhee omi-pelone ayjax h’u jous trolde in!” [Baker (1), in JB’s orthography, with “bona” replacing “well”] “Oh, take a good look [i.e., look well] at the gay guy over there who just walked in!”). — Bona! 1 (a) Good! (b) Bravo!° Hear, hear!° Right on!° Well done or said!° 2 (agreeing, concessive or introductory) all right°, okay°. Bona dives! Good afternoon! Good day! Good morning! bona fa/for. attracted to. Bona lavz. All the best, [With] best wishes (as in signing off a letter). Bona tu u. Yours (as in signing off a letter). bona/bonimentay leld in. welcome (decision). bona/bonimentay lelling in. welcoming (smile). Bona nauchi! Good night! Bona orded in! Welcome! Bona Peers! Here’s to your health! Bottoms up! Bona sarla! Good evening! Bona ta varda! Good or nice to see you! bonar. (a) better (A shauka mouj iz bonar dhan a kaud sheikel. A silly hat is better than a bad wig; i.e., self-deprecation is preferable to vanity [JB]); (b) more. bonarst. best. fayk bona. 1 make good: do up (a room); touch up (a photograph). 2 [ankora] make well [again]: cure (fayking bona ankora, cure). fayk bonar. make something better: improve (fayk bonar wouniz drayjh, improve one’s clothes). lel bona enni wouniz lavz. take someone’s advice [well]: take well what someone says or said. o bona. well (introductory). tip bona. advise well: give good advice; see ben. [Pola., from It. “buona”, fem. form of “buono”. Baker also gives Lingua Franca “bona” (also Esperanto); cf., Roma. “boona”.]
bon/e 1 n. (pl. -ze). 1 bone°. 2 ([dha] bonze, always in pl.) one’s boyfriend. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -de; -ing gerund/pres. part.). have sex with: bone°. [Eng. slang listed in Baker.]
boneru adj. excellent, wonderful. [Pola., fr. “bona”, good; listed in Young.]
bonibelay* adj. worthy of being a partner in copulation
bonichude* n. (always in sing.). 1 (a) good[ness] (bonichude an kirtirvichude, good and evil); (b) niceness; (c) soundness, validity. 2 attraction. 3 advantage, profit. — lel dha bonichude auv. take advantage of
bonichudinosa* adj. advantageous, profitable
bonimento* n. (always in sing.). 1 (a) goodness (instance of); (b) niceness; (c) soundness, validity. 2 attraction. 3 advantage, profit
book/a* n. (pl. -ez). liver. [Roma. “booko”, “bucca”.]
booka-karnish* n. liver [cul.]
bool n. masculine female: bull. [Eng. slang listed in Baker, with wide gay usage that has entered the popular lexicon (“bull-dyke”, etc.); properly, not Pola.]
bor* 1 hedge. 2 fellow, comrade; see in nex. [Roma. “bau”, “baw”.]
bord*, dha n. (-z, always in pl.). (a) [the] stage or theatre; (b) the dance floor°. — auf/aun dha bordz. off/on stage; see slang. [Eng. theatrical slang; properly, not Pola.]
bori* adj. pregnant. [Roma. “bori”, the fem. form of “boro”, big (see boura), & is no doubt related to anything big or swollen (cited at some length in Borrow).]
borichude* n. pregnancy
bor-teer* n. hedgehog
botee/k 1 adj. pertaining to a shop or shopping. 2 n. (pl. -x). (a) shop; (b) [any] place of business. 3 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.; -x 3rd pers.). to shop°. boteeking. shopping. boteeking cheet. the shopping (itself). boteek a dha boles. chemist’s [shop], pharmacy. boteek fa dha didel. off-license, bottle-shop, spirit shop. boteekeeni. small shop: kiosk. boteekoni. [department] store. — akt, fayk dha or orda bodeeking. do the or go shopping. [Eng./Fr. “boutique”, Sp. “bodega”, shop; cf., Roma. “buddigur” ; properly, not Pola.]
boteek-dives* = dives a dha boteek (which see, in dives). [Calqued on Roma. “buddigur divvus”, shop day.]
boteek-[h]omi* n. (fem.: boteek-dona/-pelone) shopkeeper
bouferil/a n. (pl. -ez). “buffarilla” [facet.]). [Gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
boung* n. purse. [Cant.]
boura* adj. big, great, grand ([enni] boura gav, [any] big city). boura, boura. great big. Boura- combines with ns to indicate (a) nobility or greatness; (b) a greater version of; or (c) (of metals) an improved version of. [A.-Ind. “burra”, from Hind. “bara”; cf., Roma. “boro”.]
boura-beebee* n. grand lady: “grande dame”, extended to gay men who behave as such. [A.-Ind. Yule explained that “(‘burra-beebee’) is a kind of slang word applied in Anglo-Indian society to the lady who claims precedence at a party” (132).]
boura-besh-cheet* n. throne (boura-besh-cheet a dha rashi-[h]omi, pulpit)
boura-bauka* n. famine
boura-chinga* n. war. boura-chingering. warring. boura-chingering omi. warrior. — akt or fayk boura-chinga. [make] war. akting or fayking boura-chinga. warfare.
boura-chovi* n. hall. boura-chovi fa dha boura-karnish. banquet hall
boura-dives* n. (a) festival [day] (boura-dives a dha houzbenarjhio, wedding [day]); (b) [= boura-dives a dha rashi] religious occasion, extended to esp. Christmas [Day] (where Boura-Dives takes a capital “B” & “D”.). [Roma. calqued on A.-Ind. “burra-din”.]
boura-drarma* n. opera
boura-drome* n. highway
boura-gav* n. [big] city
boura-gayj* n. quart. [Calqued on Roma. “boro coro”.]
boura-horki* n. bronze. — a [dha] boura-horki. bronze
boura-karnish* n. banquet. [Calqued on A.-Ind. “burra-khana”.]
boura-keyr* n headquarters (boura-keyr a dha charpering omiz, police headquarters; boura-keyr a dha kween a dha meyriz, the Vatican; boura-keyr a/fa dha Baula-chalz, basilica)
boura-kirtirva-kartzo* n. syphilis (suffered by a man)
boura-kirtirva-minj* n. syphilis (suffered by a woman)
boura-milzermb’une* n. history. — a dha boura-milzermb’une. historical
boura-milzermb’une-leik* adj. historic
boura-rei* n. lord. [Calqued on A.-Ind. “burra-sahib”.]
boura-sasta* n. steel. — a [dha] boura-sasta. steel
boura-worta* n. ocean
bourichud/e* n. (pl. -ze). size
bous* 1 n. 1 (a) prick, injection, puncture; (b) prickle, nettle, thistle, bramble, cactus. 2 barb, spur. 2 (a) intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to get a puncture: to blow out; (b) tr. v. to prick, inject, puncture. [Truncation of Roma. “busnis”, spurs, prickles; cf., Eng. “bust”.]
bout conj. but; see pero. [Eng.]
boy see dili-boy
Boyno! voc. Hello! (Boyno, barki!), Greetings! — palari boyno tu. say hello to: greet. [Pola.]
boynomento* n. (pl. -ze). greeting
brad n. 1 cost° (Soze dha brad aun dhis drayjh? How much does this suit cost?); see kap. 2 (-z, always in pl.). [ready] money, cash [in hand] (bradz in wouniz kik, cash in one’s pocket). brad fa dha vaygeri. fare. [Pola., from cant., listed in Baker; cf., Eng. slang “bread”.]
brandi 1 n. posterior, backside, bum, arse[hole]. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to evacuate the bowels°: to defecate°, [take a] shit°. brandiing. defecation (brandiing keyreeni, public lavatory or toilet; brandiing lach, lavatory, toilet or loo [with a lock on it]). — Brandi! 1 Shit! 2 Arsehole! (equivalent to It. “Stronzo!”). leo aun dha brandi. lubricate the anus (often said as “put on the brandy”). tip dha brandi. perform anilingus: rim. tiping dha brandi. anilingus. [Cockney rhyming slang “brandy and rum”, i.e., bum, or “brandy glass”, i.e., arse, listed in Baker.]
brandi-cheet* n. (a) faeces, excrement, stool; (b) dung, turd (brandi-cheet a dha bugerlz, cow-dung); (c) manure, muck (brandi-cheet a dha greiz, horse manure). [Cockney rhyming slang “brandy”, conflated with A.-Ind. “bratty”, cakes of dry cow-dung.]
brandi-lach = (proposed) brandiing lach (which see, in brandi). [Pola.]
braunz* 1 adj. brown. 2 n. brown. [Eng. “bronze”; cf., It. “abbronzato”, tanned.]
braunzarjhio* n. (always in sing.). brownness
braunzetta* 1 adj. tanned (bona braunzetta mootzi, good [all-over] [sun]tan). 2 n. (a) [= omi or pelone a dha braunz reir] brunette; (b) [= omi or pelone a dha braunz mootzi] tanned person
brays* 1 adj. [pertaining to the] arm. 2 n. (pl. -iz). 1 arm [anat.]. 2 branch (all senses). — leo wouniz braysiz reon. put one’s arms around: embrace (all senses), hug. [Eng. “brace”, “embrace”.]
brayslit* n. 1 bracelet. 2 [hand]cuffs. — leo dha brayslitz aun. put handcuffs on: arrest. leo in brayslitz. put in handcuffs: arrest. [Eng. “bracelet”, listed in Chambers as a colloquial term for handcuffs; cf., “Betty Bracelet”, gay slang for the police, listed in Baker.]
brays-reon* n. embrace, hug
bru* n. 1 (pl. -ze). bang[ing noise], noise, sound. 2 excitement. — brude. excited (get brude). fayk a bru. make a noise or sound; see sheesh. [Truncation of Fr. “brouhaha”, fuss; cf., “bruit”, noise.]
brinjel* n. (always in sing.). eggplant, aubergine. [A.-Ind. “brinja(u)l”.]
bub/e* n. (pl. -ze). (a) acne, pimple; (b) pustule. — dha bube. the pox. [Cant, truncation from Eng. “bubonic”.]
bubi* adj. (a) pimply; (b) poxy
bubik* adj. bubonic
buge/l 1 adj. 1 bovine°. 2 dim- or slow-witted°. 2 n. 1 nose (better, eesaung, which see). 2 (pl. -rlz. oxen°, cattle°). ox°, (loosely) cow°; see aunk, eesaung. [Eng. “bugle”, originally, an ox or buffalo; cited at some length in Baker.]
bugel-omi* n. (fem.: bugel-pelone, dim- or slow-witted woman) dim- or slow-witted man
bugerlz-omi* n. (fem.: bugerlz-dona/-pelone) [cattle] farmer. [Patterned on Pola. “strilez-omi”.]
bul/a* 1 adj. beautiful (Ya Moudhez Bula Ken fa dha Dobi). 2 n. (pl. -ez) beauty (person). [Gayle “Beulah” (“Beaulah” in Cage); cf.,. It. “bella” (note that “Bella” means “violent” in Gayle).]
bulichude* n. (always in sing.). beauty (concept of: kween a dha bulichude, beauty queen)
b’utarjhio*, dha n. (always in sing.). trade, commerce
b’ut/e* n. (pl. -ze). job, employment (plenni b’utze, full employment). — dha b’ute. work, labo[u]r. dha b’ute a dha nab. learning. fayk dha b’ute. work, labo[u]r. fayk dha b’ute a dha nab. learn (fayking omi or pelone a dha b’ute a dha nab, learner). fayking dha b’ute. working, labo[u]ring (fayking dha bugerlz-omiz/granermz-omiz b’ute, farming, farm-labo[u]ring). fayking dha b’ute a dha nab. learning. fayking omi or dona/pelone a dha b’ute. worker, workman, labo[u]rer. nanti b’ute. no work. orda ta dha b’ute. go to work. sanz [enni] b’ute. out of work, unemployed, jobless. tip a/dha b’ute tu. give a job to: employ. wouniz b’ute. one’s trade; see in fayk. [Roma. “booty”, work, conflated with Eng. “boot”; “dha b’ute a dha nab” is calqued on Rom. “sherro’s kairipen”.]
b’utee/k* 1 adj. small-scale and specialised: boutique. 2 n. (pl. -x) variant of boteek. [Fr.]
buvaray joc. variant, in mock Fr. pron., of buvari
buvari 1 n. drink. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to drink°. buvariing. [hard or serious] drinking. buvariing omi. (fem.: buvariing pelone) [hard] drinker, drunk[ard]; see bevvi. [Pola., from Fr. “buvable”, drinkable, “buveur”, drinker, deriving from “boire”, to drink, cognate with It. “bere”, to drink.]
buvaribelay* adj. drinkable. — narda buvaribelay. undrinkable
chal* n. (a) inhabitant of (city or country); (b) adherent of (religion); (c) member of (society, race, etc.); (d) speaker of (language); see in relevant headword. Note that chal does not combine with other ns like -kove (which see). [Roma. “chal”, lad, son, fellow; Borrow (23) links this word with Scottish “chiel”, Old Eng. (or Byronic) “childe” & Russ. “chelovik” (i.e., “chelovyek”, human being), to which may be added the Pidgin or Creole “chile”. In a footnote in Lavengro, Borrow explains further: “Chal is simply the contraction of chavál, a form cognate with chavoró the diminutive of chavó, a lad” (xiii, n. 1). Hence “chal” and “chavi” are paronyms, though “chal” had not entered the Polari lexicon.]
cham* 1 adj. leather (cham kafiz, leather pants; cham lali-kouvez, chaparajos, chaps). 2 n. leather, hide. [Roma.; cf., Eng./Fr. “chamois”.]
char* 1 adj. [pertaining to] 1 tea. 2 grass. 3 (a) straw; (b) hay. 2 n. (rare in pl.). 1 tea (a berri a [dha]/bilaung char, a cup of tea). 2 grass. 3 (always in sing.). (a) straw; (b) hay. — fayk dha char. make hay [incl. fig.] (fayking a dha char, hay-making). [Cockney rendering of “cha”, rolled tea; cf., Roma. “chaw”, grass.]
char-cheet* n. tea-kettle (ratel a char-cheet, rattle on); see kekarvi. [Calqued on Yidd. tshaynik, (tea-)kettle: hakn a tshaynik.]
char-dourel* 1 adj. [pertaining to or the colo(u)r of] strawberry (a dha char-dourel reir, strawberry blond[e]; omi or pelone a dha char-dourel reir, blond[e]). 2 n. stawberry
char-jala* adj. blond[e] (wood, etc.: a dha char-jala reir, blond[e]; omi or pelone a dha char-jala reir, blond[e]).
char-jaleretta* n. [= omi or pelone a dha char-jala reir] blond[e]
charl/a* 1 adj. gossipy. 2 n. (pl. -ez). gossip, tittle-tattle, mischief. 3 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to gossip, to make mischief (charla dha charla, make mischief). charlering. gossiping. charlering omi. (a) male gossip[-monger] or mischef-maker; (b) slut. charlering pelone. (a) female gossip[-monger] or mischef-maker; (b) slut. — fayk dha charla abeot. gossip about. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “ciarla”; cf., It. “ciambola”, slut, & “ciancia”, nonsense.]
charlibelay* adj. worthy of being gossiped about: juicy
char-peip* n. straw (for dink)
char-pisha* n. grasshopper
charnt 1 n. (a) song; (b) elegy°, eulogy°. 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to sing (charnt a charnt/gili, sing a song). charnting. singing. charnting dona/pelone. female singer. charnting omi. male singer. [Eng./Pola.]
charntz* n. (pl. -iz). chance (all senses), opportunity. [Eng.]
charo* n. (rare pl. -ze). heaven, paradise. — charolik[el]. paradisiac[al]. [Roma. “charos”, “cheros”; cf., It “cielo”.]
charo-leik* adj. heavenly
charp/a intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed, sought; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to look for: to seek, search°. charpering. looking, seeking, searching° (charpering karsi. police station, Parly.; better, keyr a dha charpering omiz). charpering dona. female police officer: policewoman. charpering omi. police officer: policeman, constable (UK) (charpering omiz rooka, warrant). [Parly., from It “cercare”.]
charpimento* n. search
charv/a intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to copulate, to shag. charvering. copulating, shagging, sex. charvering cheet. rabbit [joc.]. charvering dona. harlot, prostitute, slut, whore. charvering omi. male prostitute. charvering with a poke. brachioproctic eroticism. [Parly.]
charvibelay* adj. worthy of being a partner in copulation. — narda charvibelay. not worth copulating with
charvichude* n. (always in sing.). 1 copulation. 2 prostitution
chat* 1 n. (dha -z, always in pl.). the gallows. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -id, hanged, hung; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to hang (all senses), to suspend. chating. hanging, suspension (chating moomliz, chandelier). chating omi. hangman; see troyn. [Cant.]
chauf/a* n. (pl. -ez). petticoat. [Roma. “chofa”.]
chaulo* 1 adj. whole. 2 adv. [= chaulomentay] wholly. 3 n. (dha, the) whole; see sor. [Roma. “chollo”.]
chaumeni* 1 adj. some (quantifiable, of objects, people, etc.). 2 n. thing (in grammatical sense). 3 pron. something. — enni chaumeni. anything. evri chaumeni. everything. nix chaumeni. nothing. Note that the Gipsy saying, “For every chomany there’s a lav in Romany” (“There’s a name in Gipsy for everything” [Borrow, 25]), is intelligible to Pola. speakers; see cheet, faykimento. [Roma. “chomany”.]
chaumeni-chaumeni* n. (a) thing[y], contraption; (b) what-d’you-call-it, what-you-may-call-it, thingummy[bob or -jig], whatsit; (b) what’s-his-name (what’s-her-name), what-d’you-call-him (what-d’you-call-her), thingummybob. — Hay, deeri chaumeni-chaumeni! Hey [you], what’s-your-name! [Reduplication of preceding.]
chaumeni-cheet* n. tool, instrument (chaumeni-cheet fa dha chining a dha pauv, plough)
chaumeni-cheetz-omi* n. tradesman. [Patterned on Pola. “strilez-omi”.]
chavi n. (pl. -z. children). child, kid. [Parly., from Roma. “cha(u)vo”; cf., the British phenomenon of “Chavs” (known in Australia as “Bogans”), satirised in Catherine Tate’s “Am I bovvered?” character, “Lauren”. Brewer’s has an entry on “Chav”, which it says “probably comes from the old Polari word ‘chavy’” (249). See in “Vaf!” for further information.]
chavichude* n. childhood
cheet n. 1 thing. 2 unbound suff., usually governed by a pres. part., denoting a close relationship to (a) animals (usually in combination with the present participle: kakeling cheet); (b) plants (pauv-cheet); or (c) things (rateling cheet). cheeteeni. little or small thing (usually in combination). cheetoni. big or large thing (usually in combination). Cheet is used much more frequently in Pola. than “thing” is in Eng. (much as “mono” is in Jap.). Note that cheet ishyphened when used to form a n. compound (pauv-cheet), except when governed by a pres. part. [Pola., undoubtedly from Roma. & cant, most often spelled “cheat”; cf., Pers. “chíz”, thing.]
cheim* n. 1 time (all senses: hav a bona cheim, have a good time). 2 season. cheim a dha reirz a dha larda. puberty. cheim(z) [a dha mauntrell]. (a) hour; (b) o’clock (dui cheimz, two hours [see below]: dui cheimz [a dha mauntrell], two o’clock; tray cheimz in dha nauchi ann a medza, half past three in the morning; a kwordza tu chinka cheimz in dha sarla, a quarter to five in the evening). — a noudha cheim. another time: once; ’una cheim. one time: once; dui cheimz. two times: twice; tray cheimz. three times: thrice, etc.; fraum cheim ta cheim. from time to time, every now and then; see dives, nauchi, sarla, sorlo; see in besh & moulti. [Harlem Jive, from Eng. “chime”, conflated with “time”.]
cheiv* 1 n. fling (all senses), throw. cheiveeni. flick (cheiveeni a dha ris). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to fling, to throw (cheiv a loulebei-cheet in hir lettileeni, rock a baby in his or her cradle). cheiv a dha worta. fountain, spring. — cheiv alay. fling or throw down. cheiv dha lil a dha liliz att. throw the book at: charge. cheiv oup. throw up (cheiv oup dha veerra, throw up, vomit, spew), bring up (cheiv oup wouniz namyari, bring up one’s dinner). cheiveeni auf. flick off. [Roma. “chiv(a)”, “chive”.]
chemmi n. (a) variant of kameesa (which see); (b) tunic°. — chemmi fa dha nauchi see kameesa fa dha nauchi, in kameesa. [Parly., corruption of Eng. “commission”.]
cherri n. virginity (esp. of male). [Eng. slang “cherry”, listed in Chambers as well as Baker, with its extended meaning.]
cherrichude* pleon. n. virginity
cherrichudinosa* pleon. n. virginal
cherri-kween n. gay man with a penchant for virgins. [Gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
cherri-[h]omi* n. (fem.: cherri-pelone) virgin
chike/l* n. (pl. -rlz). bird (chikerlz fart, bird’s egg; chikel a dha nauchi, nightingale). chikeleeni. little bird. chikeloni. big bird: esp. bird of prey. [Roma. “chericlo”, “chiriclo”; cf., Eng. “chick(en)”.]
chin* 1 n. cut. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to cut, to chisel (chin dha kaush, cut the stick, a common Roma. phrase which Borrow explains is due to the fact that making pegs and skewers was a “grand employment of the Gypsy fellows in the neighbourhood of London”[24]; how and if it develops in Pola. remains to be seen; chin enni wouniz kirlo, cut someone’s throat; chin dha pauv, plough [the earth]). — chin alay. cut down. chin auf. cut off. [Roma. “chin(a)”.]
chin-cheet* n. chisel
ching/a* 1 adj. fight. 2 n. (pl. -ez). (a) fight; (b) (i) battle; (ii) = boura-chinga (which see). 3 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to fight. chinga a dha lavz. war of words. chingering. fighting. chingering omi. (fem.: chingering dona/pelone) fighter, soldier, trooper (chingering omiz [an donez], troops: pich [auf] jent chingering omiz, send [off] or despatch 100 troops). [Roma. “ching”, “chingaro”, fight; Borrow derives this word from Sanskrit “sangara”, fight, battle.]
chingichude* n. (always in sing.). strife, war
chingichudinosa* adj. strife-ridden, war-torn
chinka num. five. chinkito. fifth. chinkitomentay. fifthly. — chinka laung deja. fifty. chinka laung dejito. fiftieth. chinka laung lepta. fifteen. chinka laung leptito. fifteenth. [Parly., from It. “cinque”; cf., Eng. “cinque”, the figure five, as on dice.]
chinkito see in chinka
chintz* n. (pl. -iz, lice). louse (chintziz a dha larda, pubic lice: crabs). [A.-Ind. “chinch”, “chints”.]
chintzosa* adj. lousy (all senses)
chirto 1 adj. certain, sure. 2 adv. [= chirtomentay] certainly, surely. 3 n. certainty. — Chirto! 1 Of course! 2 I’m certain or sure! (Chirto u leld hir. I’m sure you took it.). [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “certo”.]
chivi* 1 n. chase, pursuit. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to chase, to pursue. — chivi arfta. chase after, pursue. [Eng. “chevy”, “chiv(v)y”.]
choomb/a* n. (pl. -ez). hill. choombereeni. hillock, mound, bank, embankment. choomberoni. mountain. [Roma. “chumba”, “chong”.]
choong/a* 1 n. (always in sing.). spit, phlegm. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to spit (choonga hir erbree dha varda-hev, spit one out the window). [Roma. “chungarava”, “chungra”.]
chovi n. room. [Pola.]
-chud/e* n. suff. (pl. -ze; n.-forming with adjs) denoting (a) the state of being: -ery, -hood, -tude (e.g., been-kovichude, youth); (b) fulness (chingichude); see Morphology, above. [Eng., Fr., etc.]
-chudinosa* adj. suff. (formed from “-chude” words) denoting (a) a state of being (omichudinosa); (b) abundance (in positive or negative sense): -ful; -tudinous (chingichudinosa). Morphology as for -chude. [Mock It., patterned on Pola. “fantabulosa”.]
chun/e* n. (pl. -ze). moon. [Roma. “choon”, moon; Borrow compares “choon” with Sanskrit “chandra”.]
chune-glima* n. (always in sing.). moonlight
chur/e* 1 n. theft. 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -de; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to steal, to thieve. churde cheet[z]. stolen good[s]. churing. stealing, thieving. churing a dha bugerlz. cattle-stealing or -rustling. churing a dha feeli-[h]omi[z]. cradle-snatching. churing a dha grei[z]. 1 horse-stealing or -rustling. 2 by extension (after all, horse-stealing is not very gay!), stealing someone’s boyfriend or girlfriend. churing omi. (fem.: churing dona/pelone) thief. churing omi a dha feeli-[h]omi[z]. (fem.: churing dona/pelone a dha feeli-[h]omi[z]) cradle snatcher. churing omi a dha grei[z]. (fem.: churing dona/pelone a dha grei[z]) 1 horse-thief. 2 by extension, someone who steals someone else’s boyfriend or girlfriend; see lure, sharpa. [Roma. “chore”, which Borrow derives from San. “chur” (seen in Indon. “(men)curi”, to steal); cf., Fr. colloquialism “choure”, theft.]
chute* n. (always in sing.). vinegar. [Rom. “choot”, “chute”; cf., Indon. “cuka”.]