POLARI–ENGLISH DICTIONARY
(D–F)
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.
-d p. part./t. -ed; see Morphology, above. [Eng. “-ed”; “d” or “t” alone is commonly found in cant, but homage is paid here to Robert Duncan’s Black Mountain orthography, as found in his poetry & other poets’ of his generation.]
da variant of dha; see in narda. [Eng. slang, esp. in graffiti, gangsta rap, etc.]
dad, dadi* n. 1 (a) father, dad[dy]; (b) man — sometimes a woman — who assumes a paternal or mentoring rôle, especially in sadomasochistic contexts. 2 (a) male lover; (b) older (dominant) gay man. — H’uze ya dadi? Whom do you love? Dad takes a capital “D” as a term of address (Dad an Martha; Baudelaire: Nix aseo Dad or Martha ya moudha haz, nix aseo an artha or a sorella. “I have neither father nor mother, brother nor sister”). [Eng.; cf., Roma. “dad(o)”, that extends to the Holy Father; listed in Baker, though properly not Pola.]
dafi 1 adj. drunk on gin. 2 n. (a) gin° (dafi an fizi akwa, gin and tonic); (b) martini°. [Pol.; Baker derives this from Daffy’s Elixir, a medication given to children, to which, reputedly, gin was often added.]
dali adj. sweet, kind. [Pola.]
damb/a* n. (pl. -ez). rascal. [Cant.]
darntz/a* n. (pl. -ez). stair[case]. — alay dha darntzez. downstairs. — oup dha darntzez. upstairs. [Cant “dancer”.]
dash 1 n. (always in sing.). haste°, rush°, hurry°. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -t, hurried; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to leave quickly: dash [off]°, rush [off]°, hurry°. dashing cheet. mouse. dashing cheetoni. rat. — dash auf. dash off. Dash erbree! Run for your life! dash oup. jump [up], to leap [up], to spring [up]. fayk dash. make haste: hasten; see skarpa. [Eng. slang, listed in Baker; cf., Roma. “nash”, run. Although not listed in Chambers, it is commonly heard in Aust. colloquial Eng.; properly, not Pola.]
dashi* adj. hasty
dash-oup* n. jump, leap, spring
daulchay* adj. soft (all senses), tender. — narda daulchay. hard; tough. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “dolce”.]
dauli1 1 adj. (a) attractive (esp. of women); (b) smart[ly dressed]. 2 n. 1 affair°, business°, matter°, thing°, item°. 2 subject°, theme°, topic°, question° (Tu bee or nix tu bee, dhatz dha dauli. To be or not to be, that is the question.). 3 camp, world-weary older man. 4 term of address: dear. — fa dhat dauli. for that matter. Nix mei dauli! Never mind! It doesn’t matter!; cf., deer. [Pola., from Eng. “Dolly”, i.e., Dorothy; cited at some length in Baker, quoting a further meaning of “dolly” as “penis”, from a dictionary by Bruce Rodgers of US gay slang.]
dauli2* n. fruit basket (esp. as gift). [A.-Ind. “dolly”, from Hind. “dâlî”, “a complimentary offering of fruit” (Yule, 322), listed in Chambers.]
dauli-daumesti/k n. (pl. -x). gay man settled in a long-term relationship: long-term or long-time companion. [Hybrid word: Pola. “dauli” & Eng. “domestic”, gay slang listed in Baker; properly, not Pola.]
dauli-daumestik-leik* adj. long-term, long-time
daulimento* n. (always in sing.). importance
daumarjhio* n. (pl. -ze). pity, compassion. — sanz daumarjhio. lacking compassion: pitiless. [Mock Italianised pronunciation of Fr. “dommage”.]
daus* 1 adj./adv. back (all senses except n. [i.e., anat.; which see, palias]). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). 1 to support: to back (a winner, etc.). 2 to reverse, back. dausing. backing, support. — daus alay. back down. daus aun tu. back on to; see in ankora, shayk. [Corruption of It. “dosso”.]
daus-pauv* 1 adj. background. 2 n. background. — in dha daus-pauv. in the background
daycha num. ten. daychito. tenth. daychitomentay. tenthly; see deja. [Parly., from It. “dieci”; cf., Roma. “des(c)h”.]
Daycha-chune* n. December. [daycha + Roma. “choon”, moon.]
daychito see in daycha
dayjha* adv. already. — O palari ta ya moudha a chaumeni [dhat] shee nix dayjha saviz! Tell me something I don’t already know! [Fr. “déjà”.]
dee1 n. letter D (dee). dee-el. down low (said of black men who identify as straight in public but have gay sex). [Eng.]
dee-2 pref. marking the undoing or reversal of: de-, un-; an apostrophe follows if the next letter is an “r” (dee’role, unroll). [Eng.]
deedrayjh* tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to undress. — get deedrayjhd. get undressed. [dee + “drayjh”.]
dee-el see in dee1
deefach/a* intr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). (of men or women) to take off or remove [one’s] make-up. [dee + Pola. “facha”, calqued on Fr. “démaquiller”, to remove the make-up from.]
deeginimento* n. (pl. -ze). discount. — fayk dha deeginimento aun. discount
deek tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) to observe, to notice; (b) to get°, to understand°; (c) to find out°, to ascertain°, to see°. — Ya moudha deex! I get it! [Pola., listed in Young, from Roma. “dic(o)”; cf., Eng. slang “dig”; see dik1.]
deekibelay* adj. noticeable
deekrarfni* tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to unbutton or unfasten. [dee + “krarfni”.]
deelati* intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to move [out], to shift [away]; see reelati. [dee + “lati”.]
deen/a n. (pl. -ez). shilling [hist.]; cf., beeyoni. [Pola., from cant “deaner”. Yule writes that “(i)t seems doubtful whether it comes from the Italian danaro or the Arabic dinar … both eventually derived from the Latin denarius” (301).]
deenerosa* adj. moneyed, rich, wealthy. [From above; cf., It. “danaroso”.]
deep* adj. deep. [Eng. “deep”.]
deeparjhio* n. (always in sing.). depth
deer[i] 1 adj. dear, darling°. 2 n. (a) darling°, sweetheart°; (b) term of address: dear[ie]. — O deeri! Oh, dear! Dear me! [Eng. “dear” or colloquial “dearie”, used widely in gay circles & listed in Baker; cf., Borrow for use of “dearie” by Eng. gipsies. Baker mentions deer may be used patronisingly or when the speaker has forgotten or does not know the name of the person addressed; see in chaumeni-chaumeni.]
deeshend/a* intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to descend, to go down, to get [down] off (horse, bus), get out of (car). [dee + “shenda”, a corruption of It. “scendere”, to ascend.]
deja num. 1 ten (obs. variant of daycha). 2 see in laung1 (dui laung deja, 20; kworta laung deja-setta, 47; auta laung deja-auta, 88, etc.). dejito. ordinal marker for the “tens” (dui laung dejito, 20th). Hyphens link the final number to deja. [Parly., a corruption of It. “dieci”; cf., Roma. “des(c)h”.]
deorri, a adv. (a) a lot (of things: Dhatz a deorri. That’s a lot); (b) (loosely) a lot: much (a deorri a, a lot of/lots of > a deorri a brad, a fortune; a deorri a parni, a lot of rain). [Eng. “dowry”.]
dha def. art. the. Note that dha is used much more often in Pola., in a redundant sense. [Eng.]
dhan conj. than. [Eng.; cf., Roma. “denne”.]
dhat adv.; conj.; dem. adj.; dem. pron.; rel. pron. that. — dhat ayjax. yonder. [Eng.; “dhat ayjax” is calqued on Roma. dov-odoy, lit. “that there”.]
dhay pron. they. [Eng.]
dhee1 def. art. variant of dha, used (a) before ns beginning with a V or (b) as an intensifier. [Eng.]
dhee2 pl. dem. adj.; dem. pron. (-z, always in pl.). these. [Eng.]
dhem poss. adj. them. — dhem self. themselves. [Eng.]
dheyr poss. adj. their. dheyrz. theirs. [Eng.]
dhis dem. adj.; dem. pron. this; see in arfta-medza, dives, nauchi, sarla. [Eng.]
dho1 pl. dem. adj.; dem. pron. (-ze, always in pl.). those. [Eng.]
dho2 short for sor-dho (which see)
did see in du
dide/l 1 adj. [pertaining to] gin or the sale of gin. 2 n. (a) (rare pl. -rlz) gin; (b) by extension, [any] [hard] liquor, alcohol or spirits, esp. vodka°. [Pola.]
didel-cheet* n. bottle. didel-cheetid. bottled. didel-cheet a dha pap. bottle of milk. didel-cheet fa dha pap. milk bottle. — leo in dha didel-cheet. bottle
didel-cheet-virdi* adj. bottle-green
didel-kove n. gin-seller. [Pola.]
dik1* intr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to look, to appear (dik bona, look good; dik peersi, look well). — dik leik. look like: (a) resemble; (b) look as though. [Roma. “dic(o)”.]
dik2* 1 n. 1 worry, bother. 2 impotence. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to worry, to bother. dikt. 1 worried, bothered (dik dikt, look worried). 2 impotent, limp (dikt bagaja). diking. worrying. [A.-Ind. “dikk”; Yule writes that “dikk” is “what the Italians call seccatura” (317); the 2nd meaning comes from Eng. “dick”.]
diki 1 adj. casual°, part-time° or temporary°. 2 n. casual°, part-time° or temporary work (akt diki, work casual or part-time). [Pola.]
dikimento* n. (pl. -ze). look, image. [Calqued on Roma. “dikkipen”.]
dilay 1 n. delay, lateness, hold-up. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to make late: to delay, to hold up. — bee dilayd. be delayed, be late, be held up. [Eng.]
Dili[, dha] n. Piccadilly Circus (in London, once a popular place for Polari-speaking male prostitutes to ply their trade). [Eng.]
dili-boy n. male prostitute, rent[-boy] (esp. Polari-speaking, who plied their trade in Piccadilly Circus); cf., charvering omi, in charva, reeta, rent. [Eng. abbreviation of “Piccadilly” + “boy”, used in UK gay slang & listed in Baker; properly, not Pola.]
dilud/e* tr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to disappoint. [Eng. “delude”; cf., It. “deludere”, disappoint.]
Diminj* n. Sunday. [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “dimanche”, jocularly conflated with Eng. slang “minge” (i.e., never on Sundays); cf., Cat. “diumenge”.]
dinarli 1 n. (always in sing.). money (nanti dinarli in dha kix, no money on one [lit., in one’s pocket]). 2 infin. v. to have [any or some] money (nanti dinarli, to have no money, not to have any money). As an infin., dinarli is not conjugated. [Eng. “dinar”, an Arab coin, It. “denaro”, money, etc., ultimately deriving from Lat. “denarius”. Baker lists this word as a noun, presumably because of its etymology, but I feel this would be to ignore its -li verbal ending. However, this is not to deny that dinarli may have been — and is still — used by Pola. speakers in a nominative sense.]
dinj adj. of colo[u]r: black (esp. in terms of “race”: dha Dinj Temz, Africa > a dha/bilaung [dha] Dinj Temz, African; a lingo bilaung [dha] Dinj Temz, an African language; [omi-/pelone-]chal bilaung [dha] Dinj Temz, African); cf., shvartza. [Pola.]
dinj-kween n. gay man sexually attracted to men of colo[u]r. [Pola.]
dir* adj./adv. far. dirar. farther, further. [Roma. “dur(ro)”.]
dir-varda-cheet* n. [= dir-vardering vakarya] telescope. [Calqued on Roma. “dur-dicki-mengri”, lit., far-seeing thing.]
dish n. 1 anus, arse[hole]; cf., arris, baux, brandi, h’upe. 2 [gramophone] record°, disc° or [compact or computer] disk° (CD). — leo aun dha dish. lubricate the anus (often said as “put on or grease the dish”): lube up. playt enni wouniz dish. perform anilingus. [Pola., from Eng.]
dish-fayk see h’upe-fayk
dives* n. (pl. -iz). day. dives a/fa dha boteek. shopping-day. — dhis dives. today. lars dives. yesterday (dha lars dives, the day before). nex dives. tomorrow (dha nex dives, the next day, the day after; dha nex dives arfta nex dives, the day after tomorrow). divesiz. daily (divesiz panem, daily bread). dheez divesiz. these days: nowadays. dhis divesiz. up-to-date: current. in dha dives. post meridiem: p.m. (used for afternoon hours 1–4; otherwise, use “in the sarla”). [Roma. “divvus”, day; Borrow compares “divvus” with Sanskrit “divasa”; cf., Lat. “dies”; the 1st syllable is echoed in the days of the week.]
dizein* 1 n. design, plan. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to design, to plan. [Eng. “design”; cf., It. “disegno”.]
dizi adj. scatter-brained, dizzy. [Eng. “dizzy” as silly is used colloquially in gay circles; although it is listed in Baker, it is not, properly, Pola.]
dobi[, dha] 1 n. washing, laundry. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to wash (clothes or hair); see lavari. [Eng. “dhobi”, Indian washerman, from Hind. (cf., A.-Ind. “dobie”); Baker derives its Pola. usage from nautical slang.]
dobi-dona* n. washer-woman: laundress
don/a n. (pl. -ez). (a) woman (esp. in terms of function or position, often used in compounds or n. phrases, or after the gerund°; see omi), mistress° (all senses: dona a dha letti, mistress — a pun on “dona a dha lati”); (b) with capital “D”, honorific: Miss, Mrs or Ms; see in lati, omi. [Poly., from It. “donna”, listed in Chambers (as “dona” or “donah”, sweatheart, a corruption of Sp. Doña or It. donna) as well as Baker.]
dook/a* 1 n. 1 hurt, ache; pain (dooka in dha brandi). 2 fortune, luck (bona/kaud dooka, good/bad luck). 3 fascination, charm. 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t., -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). 1 to hurt, to ache. 2 to tell fortunes. 3 (a) to bewitch; (b) to fascinate (all senses), to entrance, to charm. dooked. (a) bewitched, charmed (all senses); (b) fascinated, entranced. dookering. 1 hurting, aching. 2 fortune-telling. 3 fascinating, entrancing, charming, alluring. dookering dona/pelone. (masc.: dookering omi) fortune-teller. dooka a dha nab. headache. dooka a dha nel[li]. earache. dooka a dha palias. back ache or pain. [Roma. “dook(a)”, “duke”, “dukker”; Borrow traces this word back to Sanskrit “duhkha”, pain (as evidenced in Indon. “duka”, grief, sorrow), & compares it with Heb. “dui (languor, deadly faintness)” (30).]
dooka-cheet* n. bait, lure (dooka-cheet pir a shwar, honey-trap). — leo a dooka-cheet aun. bait (hook), lure (person). [Patterned on Fr. homonyms “appas”, charms, & “appât”, bait.]
dookichud/e* n. (pl. -ze). charm
dori* 1 n. thread. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t., -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to thread (dori a sayn, thread a needle), to wind. [Roma.]
dorke/s 1 adj. caring°. 2 n. (pl. -iz). term of endearment: caring person. 3 intr. v. (pp./p. t., -rst; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to care. — dorkes for. 1 care for, look after. 2 groom. nix dorkes a klevvi. [could] not care less, [could] not care a fig, [could] not give a damn. [Pola., derived from The Dorcas Society, 19th-century a ladies’ church association, according to Baker.]
dorkes-kove* n. (a) person who looks after (horse, etc.: dorkes-kove a dha greiz, groom); (b) caring person
dorkessichude* n. (always in sing.). care
doube/l1 1 adj./adv. double. 2 n. (pl. -rlz). double (all senses). — doubel-nodode. double-jointed; see in u1. [Eng.]
doube/l2* n. (pl. -rlz). god. — tu dha Douberlz bennichude. thank goodness or God; see Sweet-Doubel. [Roma. “devel”, “dibble”, “dovvel”, “dubbel”; cf., Eng. “double”, as in one’s wraith or apparition (Chambers), reflected in Ger. Doppelgänger.]
doubel-leik* adj. 1 godlike. 2 holy, divine
douches n. (pl. -iz). (a) rich gay man; (b) gay man with grandiose pretensions. [Pola.]
douches-leik* adj. 1 upperclass (dha douches-leik foxe, the upperclass). 2 grandiose
douki n. term of address or endearment: ducky; see deeri. [Eng. “ducky”, listed in Chambers as well as Baker, is an Eng. colloquialism used widely in gay circles.]
doup* 1 n. entry, entrance. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t., -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to enter. douping. entry. [Cant.]
dourel* 1 adj. pertaining to a berry 2 n. berry. doureloni. plum (doureloni g’u, plum pudding). [Roma. “durril”.]
dousek* n. (a) hand-clapping or (b) snapping one’s fingers to attract attention. — fayk dha dousek. (a) clap one’s hands [to attract attention]; (b) snap one’s fingers. [A.-Ind. “dustuck”.]
drab1 n. (always in sing.). clothing a drag-king, drag-queen or cross-dresser wears that is applicable to his or her birth gender (opposite of drag). — aun drab. in such a state. [Gay slang listed in Baker; “en drabbe” is mock Fr.]
drab2 1 n. 1 poison. 2 (a) medicine (drab a dha boles, pharmacist medicine); (b) drug. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). 1 to poison. 2 (a) to medicate; (b) to drug. drabd. 1 poisoned. 2 (a) medicated; (b) drugged, addicted (drabd omi/pelone, drugged man/woman or [drug] addict). drab a dha sarp[s]. snake poison: venom. [Roma. “drab”, “drav”.]
drab-dikt* adj. having a crystal dick
drab-diktichude* n. crystal dick
drab-leik* adj. poisonous, venomous [fig.]
drabosa* adj. poisonous, venomous
drag see drayjh; dha fool drag see in drayjh
drag-kween see drayjh-kween
drarm/a* n. (a) play; (b) (always in sing.). drama. — drarmik. dramatic (all senses). [Eng. “drama”, It. “dramma”, from Gr.]
drayjh 1 n. (always in sing.). (a) clothes or clothing: one’s dress°, garment[s]°; see jhoojh; (b) (i) costume°; (ii) drag: i.e., clothing typically worn by one gender then worn by the other, for various reasons, including gender-bender, psychological or sexual ones (“Wouni iz nasht plenni aybrem, pero arfta dhat evri chaumeni iz drayjh.” [RuPaul] “You’re born naked and everything you put on after that is drag.”); see reerl; (c) suit [of clothes]. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) to put on: to wear (clothes, shoes, jewellery, etc.). drayj a/fa dha letti. pajamas. drayjh fa dha leedo. bathing costume, suit or trunks: bathers. dha fool drayjh. having dressed oneself completely in women’s clothes: the full drag. — drayjh oup. (a) dress up (kaudimentay drayjhd oup); (b) wear women’s clothes: drag up; cross-dress. drayjing oup. (a) dressing up (drayjhing-oup omi or dona/pelone, cross-dresser); (b) getting up in drag: cross-dressing. lel [enni] wouniz drayjh auf. take [some]one’s clothes off. [Eng. slang “drag” (cf., “rag”), in mock Fr. pronunciation with typical long V change, to rhyme facetiously with “beige”; cf., Harlem Jive “drape”, suit of clothes, dress, costume. Listed in Baker & Chambers: “(the wearing of) transvestite clothing, now usu. women’s dress worn by a man, or a form of entertainment involving this (slang; also adj.): a homosexuals’ party” (429).]
drayjh-kween* n. drag-queen. [Eng. slang, listed in Chambers as well as Baker, but given the Polari “treatment”; Chambers merely gives “a homosexual who likes wearing women’s clothes” (429).]
drayjh-oup* n. clothes: get-up; see dres-oup
dreer 1 adj. dreary. 2 n. dreary person. 3 intr. v. (pp./p. t., -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to behave in a dreary manner. [Backformation listed in Young, from Eng. “dreary”, as found in gay slang, where devising extra parts of speech is typical; properly, not Pola.]
drei adj. 1 left (drei marteeni, left hand); see [in] lapa, sweet. 2 sinister. [Eng. “dry”; (“dry martini” is an example of obfuscating meaning).]
drei-doubel* n. (a) devil; (b) with init. cap., Satan. — a dha Drei-Doubel. Satanic (Dha Virsiz a dha Drei-Doubel)
drei-doubel-leik* n. devilish
dres-oup 1 adj. tragic° (all senses, esp. facet.). 2 n. (pl. -s). 1 tragic (i.e., badly made-up) drag-queen (dres-oups nav, drag-queen name). 2 tragedy° [esp. facet.]. [Pola./Eng.]
droge/l n. (pl. -rlz). dress; see frauk. [Pola., perhaps derived from “drogue”, a wind-sock or sleeve, or “droguet”, a kind of dress fabric, influenced by “drag”.]
drole* adj. funny, amusing, drole, droll. — tray drole. hilarious. [Eng.]
drom/e* 1 n. (pl. -ze). 1 street, road, way. 2 trace. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t., -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). 1 to track, to trace. 2 to follow. 3 to draw, to sketch (drome a droming, draw a drawing: sketch). drome a dha boura troundeling cheet[z]. railway[-line(s)]. drome fa dha skarpering greiz. race-course, race-track, the track. drome fa dha skarpering velloze. velodrome. dromeeni. course, track, trail. [Roma. “drom”; cf., Eng. “drome”, “dromos”; the second meaning is taken from Roma. “slom”, & the third meaning is conflated with Eng. “draw”.]
du tr. v. (pp./p. t., did or -de; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to do, used in the v. phrase do a tirn (which see, under tirn); otherwise, is used as a grammatical part. (So did moudha fayk?); see in akt & fayk. [Eng.]
dube see dubi
dubi n. 1 pill, tablet (shoumf a dubi, take a pill or tablet). 2 marijuana cigarette: joint (voge dha dubi, smoke a joint). [Pola., from US slang.]
dud/e* 1 adj. [pertaining to a] star: stellar. 2 n. (pl. -ze). star (all senses). [Roma. “dude”, moon, light, “dudee”, light, star.]
dude-bar* n. diamond (“Dude-barz ar a pelonze bonarst kove”). — a [dha] dude-bar. diamond (mauntrell a [dha] dude-bar, diamond watch). [Roma. “dude-bar”; cf., the Kohinor diamond, lit., “mountain of light”.]
dude-glima* n. starlight
dui num. two. duito. second. duitomentay. secondly. — dui laung deja. twenty (dui laung deja-tray, twenty-three; in wouniz beshiz a dha dui laung deja cheimz, in one’s twenties). dui laung dejito. twentieth. dui laung lepta. twelve. dui laung leptito. twelfth. [Parly., from It. “due”; cf., Eng. “deuce”.]
dui- pref. forming (a) two in composition: bi-, di-; & (b) compounds for coupled items. [Patterned on Roma. “duidas” (which see, in etymology for dui-tas).]
dui-baj-martha* n. grandparent
dui-barberell/a* n. (rare pl. -ez, beards and moustaches). beard and moustache
dui-dad* n. mother and father (or two fathers, as the case may be): parent
dui-martha* n. mother and father (or two mothers, as the case may be): parent
dui-eefin/k* n. (pl. -x, knives and forks). knife and fork
dui-graumena* n. (always in sing.). thunder and lightning
dui-hule* n. cross. — a [dha] dui-hulze. (a) cross (drome a [dha] dui-hulze, crossroad, intersection); (b) two-pronged (atak a dha dui-hulze, two-pronged attack).
dui-houzbe/n* n. (pl. -rnz). (a) husband and wife; (b) bride and groom
dui-laun* n. (always in sing.). salt and pepper
dui-sayma* n. 1 twosome, couple. 2 pair (of two items: a dui-sayma a moomli-kaushiz). — dha dui-sayma auv. a couple of; see ’una-sayma
dui-sayn* n. (always in sing.). needle and thread
dui-tas* n. (pl. -iz, cups and saucers). cup and saucer. [Roma. “dou dass”, “duidas”, “duitas”.]
duito see in dui
-ed see -d
ee n. letter E. [Eng.]
eefin/k 1 n. (pl. -x). knife (esp. as cutlery: fayking omi/pelone a dhee eefinx, cutler). eefinkeeni. pocket-knife. eefinkoni. large knife: cleaver [fa dha karnish]. 2 v. (pp./p. t. -kt; -king gerund/pres. part.; -x 3rd pers.) to knife. [Pola., from Eng. backslang.]
ee/k n. (pl. -x). face. — a dhee eek. facial. dha fool eek. having make-up on; see m’ui. [Pola., from Eng. backslang. Baker illustrates its meaning by quoting Lee Sutton’s gay nightclub version of “Baby Face”: “Bona eke, you’ve got the campest little bona eke / And when you vada me it leaves me weak, bona eke / My heart stops a racket every time I see your packet” (26).]
eekaf 1 n. (pl. -s). (a) (i) portrait° (medza eekaf, portrait from the waist up), profile° (all senses, including seid-eekaf [which see]); (ii) photo[graph]°, picture°, snapshot°; (b) variant of eek (which see). eekaf a dha m’ui. mugshot. — fayk an eekaf. (a) do a portrait; (b) take a picture or photo[graph]. [Pola., from Eng. backslang; it has been given extended meaning, for it is less known than eek, which see.]
eekafibelay* adj. (a) portrayable, describable; (b) photogenic, photographable. — narda eekafibelay. (a) indescribable; (b) unphotogenic, unphotographable
eemag 1 n. (a) game; (b) sport°. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) to play a game; (b) to play sport. eemag a dha bati-poking. boxing. eemag a dha koul[z]. 1 ball-game: football, soccer. eemag av dha lavz. play on words: pun. 2 ball-work (in sex play). eemageeni. little game. eemaging omi. (fem.: eemaging pelone) player, sportsman or (fem.) -woman (eemaging omi a dha bati-poking, boxer; eemaging omi a dha koulz, footballer). [Pola., from Eng. backslang.]
-eeni* n. suff. marking the diminutive form for adjs or ns; see in Etymology in -etta; see Morphology, above. [Corruption of It. “-ino”.]
eer-fay/k n. (pl. -x) see nelli-fayk. [Hybrid word: Eng. “ear” & Pola. “fayk”, patterned on Pola. “nelli-fayk”.]
eesaung n. nose. eesaungeeni. little nose (beejhu betti eesaungeeni, cute little nose: button-nose). eesaungoni. big nose: conch. [Pola., from Eng. backslang.]
eesaung-fay/k* n. (pl. -x). nose ring. [Patterned on Pola. “nelli-fayk”, earring.]
ef n. (pl. -s). letter F (ef). [Eng.]
ei1 n. letter I. [Eng.]
ei2* part. there is or are (Ei drabosa sarps in Tem bilaung Skip. There are venomous snakes in Australia). — ei wauz/wir. there was/were. ei wood be/eid be. there would be/there’d be. nix ei. there is or are not; see ekkoze, nei. [Backformation from Roma. “nai (hi)”, there is or are not.]
Ein n. London. — bilaung Ein. London ([omi-/pelone-]chal bilaung Ein, Londoner). [Pola., listed in Baker, perhaps from Germ. “ein(s)”, one, used as in Neo-Melan. “namba wan”.]
eirris adj. irritated, annoyed. — eirris-lagd. annoyed, pissed off. fayk wouniz eirris. to irritate, to annoy (fayk wouniz eirris ta dhee aultrantz, annoy the hell out of someone). fayking wouniz eirris. irritating, annoying. [Gayle.]
eivi 1 n. rim°. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.; more usual as the v. phrase tip dhee eivi). to perform anilingus on: to rim. eiviing* = tiping dhee eivi. rimming. [Gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
ekkoze* adv. (a) (i) here is or are; (ii) here goes (Ekkoze ya moudha! Here I am! Here I go!); (b) (i) there is or are; (ii) there goes (Ekkoze u ar! There you are! There you go!). — Ekkoze! Behold! (Ekkoze dha homi!/dhee omi! Behold the man!). [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “ecco”, conflated with Eng. “goes”.]
el n. letter L (el). el-em-o! see Allemo! [Eng.]
el-em-o! see Allemo!
em n. letter M (em). [Eng.]
emm/a adj. embarrassed (bee deepimentay emma, be ashamed). emmering. embarrassing. [Gayle “Emma”, originally embarrassing.]
emmichude* n. embarrassment (deep emmichude, shame: fayk dha emmichude tu, embarrass someone; fayk dha deep emmichude tu, shame someone)
en n. letter N (en). [Eng.]
eng* 1 n. itch. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to itch. [Roma. “eange”.]
engi* adj. itchy (engi eesaung, itchy nose). [Preceding.]
enni adj. (a) any; (b) some (unquantifiable, of liquid, food, etc.); see in asarles, chaumeni, wouni. [Eng.]
enni-heo* adv. anyhow, anyway (as introductory matter). [Eng.]
en-tee-bee-[h]aych adj. (a) unavailable [for sex]; (b) ugly. [Gay slang acronym for “Not To Be Had”, listed in Baker; properly, not Pola.]
eot see erbree
erbree* 1 adj./adv./prep. outside (dhee erbree, the outside). 2 prep. out of. — erbree an[d] alay. down and out (Erbree an Alay in Ein an Parree). 3 n. outside (dhee erbree, the outside). — in dhee erbree. in the open air. narda erbree. inside (dha narda erbree, the inside). 4 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to out; see in fayk, rozi-cheet. [Roma. “abri”.]
es n. (pl. -iz). letter S (es[s]). [Eng.]
-etta n. suff. marking the diminutive form for adjs or ns. Morphology as for -eeni. [Fr. “-ette”, It. “-etta”; properly, not Pola. The mock Fr. form “-ette” is often added in gay slang to terms of endearment, esp. when one is being facetious (Young gives “treasette”; trejhetta, in Nu-Polari). The suff. is applied here to hair or skin color (e.g., “ braunzetta”).]
evri adj. every (evri dives, every day: daily); see in asarles, chaumeni, wouni. [Eng.]
evva adv. ever; see waut-evva. [Eng.]
evveri variant of evri
ex n. (pl. -iz). letter X (ex). [Eng.]
-ez see -z1/2/3
fa unstressed variant of for1/2 (which see)
fab adj. great, excellent, marvellous; see fayb. [Eng. slang, listed in Chambers as well as Baker.]
fabulosa adj. fabulous, wonderful. [Pola.; cf., It. “favoloso” & Sp. “fabuloso”; “fabulous” is identified with gay culture due to its over-use by esp. gay men.]
fach/a 1 n. face. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). 1 (of men) to shave. 2 (of men or women) to put on or apply [one’s] make-up. 3 to shear°. [Pola., from It. “faccia”, face; cf., Lat. “facere”, to make.]
fachi* adj. 1 easy, simple. 2 free [and easy], easy-going. fachimentay. 1 easily, simply, soon. 2 freely. [Truncation of It “facile”.]
fambe/l 1 n. 1 (a) point° (all senses); (b) point in time: stage°. 2 see lapa. 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -rld; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to point°. fambeling. pointing (fambeling glima, indicating light: indicator). fambeling cheet. indicator, pointer. — fambel erbree. point out. fambel tu. (a) point to: indicate; (b) lead to. [Pola., from cant (cited by Baker as 16th-century slang); cf., Eng. “fumble”, with V displacement, employed as a cloaking device, a feature not only of Pola. but other “secret languages”, such as Indonesia’s Bahasa Gay (Leap). Long-vowel displacement often accompanies consonantal displacement, especially from a hard “g” to a soft “g”, as in “drayjh”, from “drag”. James Dreyfus, as the camp out-of-work actor Tom Farrell in “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme”, was wont to pronounce “dialogue” as “deerlojhe”, perhaps in a nod to Polari.]
fambela n. glove. [Pola.; cited by Baker as 16th-century slang.]
fambel-cheet n. ring; see groyn. [Pola., from cant.]
fambellimento* n. indication
fang n. tooth (pl. -z. teeth) [joc.]. [Eng. “fang”.]
fang-fayka see fang-krokes
fang-karsi n. dentist’s [surgery]. [Pola., substandard; see ken a dha fang-krokes.]
fang-krokes n. dentist
fang-tausha* n. crown (of or for tooth)
fantabulosa adj. fabulous, sensational, wonderful. [Pola., augmentative of fabulosa, a blend of “fabulous” & “fantastic”; Baker’s Dictionary of Polari is titled Fantabulosa.]
fars n. (pl. -iz). farce. [Eng.]
fart 1 n. 1 fart. 2 egg (chikerlz fart). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to break wind, to fart. farting. breaking wind, farting (farting krakez, trousers; farting krakez fa dha chaumeni-cheetz-omi[z], boiler suit: [c]overalls); see in kakel. [Eng.]
fashe/n 1 n. fashion, manner, way, style; see asarlessimento. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -rnd; -ning gerund/pres. part.). to make or fashion: (a) to make without the pretence of its being genuine; (b) to counterfeit, to forge. fashening. forgery. fashernd. (a) artificial, made [up] or fashioned, false, fake (fashernd reir, wig > fashernd reir av dha larda, merkin; dooked fashernd cheet, fetish); (b) false, fake, counterfeit, forged (fashernd cheet, [anything] counterfeit; fashernd mejh, false or counterfeit money); see fayk-; (c) made [without the pretence of being genuine] (fashernd beejhuze, costume jewellery; Fasherned in dha Tem bilaung Shinwarz, Made in China). [Eng. “fashion”; cf., Scottish “farand”, having a certain appearance or manner; Roma. “fashono”, false, fashioned, made up; or, ultimately, Lat. “facere”, to make. Yule, under “fetish” (not an A.-Ind. word), writes: “From Port. fetiço, feitiço, or fetisso (old Span. fechizo), apparently from factitius, signifying first ‘artificial,’ and then ‘unnatural,’ ‘wrought by charms,’ &c” (350).]
fa-so* unstressed variant of for-so (which see, in for)
fay* 1 adj. (a) white (all senses: fay a dha kakeling fart, egg white); (b) Caucasian; (c) pale. 2 n. (a) white colo[u]r; (b) white, Caucasian. — bilaung fay. white, Caucasian; see dinj, shvartza. [Harlem Jive.]
fayb adj. great, excellent, marvellous, glorious. [Pola., from Eng. slang “fab”, with long V change characteristic of Polari.]
faybel adj. good (of character or quality). [Pola. “fayb”, with long V change characteristic of Polari, possibly combined with fossilised Eng. frequentative; Baker suggests that it is “(p)ossibly a blend of fab and belle” (27), but it is more likely to derive from Eng. “fable”, of which “fabulous” is a derivative.]
faybichude* n. glory
fay/k 1 adj. 1 pertaining to erection. 2 (a) stiff°; (b) straight°, direct[ly]°. 2 n. (pl. -x) erection, hard-on, stiff[y]; see kaulin. 3 v. (pp./p. t. -t, did, done, made; -ing gerund/pres. part.; -x 3rd pers.) 1 intr. to work (of machine, etc.: Iz-shee fayking? Is it working?). 2 tr. (a) (i) to make; (ii) to do; see akt, b’ute, fashen; (b) to make, to cause (fayk dha karnish manki, make the meat smell); (c) to commit, to perpetrate. 2 adorn. 3 implant (hair, breasts, etc.). fayking. 1 (a) (i) making; (ii) doing, deed; (b) cause, causing; (c) committing, perpetration, perpetrating. 2 adornment, adorning. 3 implanting. fayking omi. (fem.: fayking dona/pelone) worker (esp. in hand materials): maker, smith. fayk a dha lavz. consonant. — fayk erbree. to eliminate°, to get rid of°: rid°. fayking erbree. elimination, riddance. [Pola., from Eng. “fake”, listed in Chambers as having derived from Germ. “fegen”, to furnish up; possibly conflated with It. “fare” (“facendo” pres. part.), to do or make; cf., Lat. “faber”, worker, & Roma. use: “To work, in a dishonest sense; to steal, pick pockets” (Borrow, 31).]
fayk- n. pref. denoting (a) prosthesis (fayk-ogel, glass eye); (b) implants (fayk-foofs, breast implants); (c) a substitute for°; or (d) an alloy of°. [Pola. fayk (which see above), from the idea of artificial construction or counterfeisance.]
-fay/k n. suff. (pl. -x; n.-forming with ns) denoting (a) accessorising or ornamentation of the body (nelli-fayx, earrings); or (b) [artificial] aid (ogel-fayx, spectacles). [Pola., as above.]
fayk/a n. (pl. -ez). worker, maker, smith (only as in fang-fayka, which see); better, fayking omi or dona/pelone (which see, in fayk). [Eng. “faker”; see etymology in fayk. Green lists “ben-faker” as a counterfeiter, in Eng. underworld slang.]
fay/k-bagaja* n. dildo. fayk-bagajering. dildo-shaped
fayk-cheet* n. prosthesis, prosthetic. — a dha fayk-cheet. prosthetic
fayk-foof* n. breast implant
fayk-horki* n. (always in sing.). brass. — a [dha] fayk-horki. brass, brazen
faykimento* n. 1 thing, item°. 2 [personal] adornment. 3 (-ze, always in pl.) goods°, things°, belongings°. 4 committing, perpetration. 5 cause. faykimento fa dha letti. blanket. faykimentoze fa dha letti. bedding, bedclothes, bed covers. [Pola., from Eng. “fakement”; cf., Roma. manifold use: “A robbery, any kind of work.(…) A scoundrel (…) a man of any kind (…); a girl, St. Paul’s Cathedral” (Borrow, 31).]
fayk-jube* = fayk-foof (for men)
fayk-kil* n. margarine
fayk-lali* n. wooden leg
fayk-maularves* n. (always in sing.). pewter. — a [dha] fayk-maularves. pewter
faykmernt see (proposed) faykimento
fayk-ogel* n. artificial or glass eye
fayk-reir n. 1 hair implants°. 2 [= fashernd reir) wig. [Pola.]
fays see in hart-fays
fayvereeta* 1 adj. favo[u]rite. 2 n. favo[u]rite. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “favorita”.]
Febrayo* n. February. [Corruption of It. “febbraio”.]
feeli 1 adj. young°. 2 n. (a) [= feeli-kove] young person: youth; (b) child (pl. -z. children, of parents, as opposed to infant or adolescent: feeli a dha dui-baj-martha, grandchild). [Pola., from It. “figlio”, son, child, boy.]
feeli-homi see feeli-omi
feeli-kove* n. young person: youth
feeli-omi n. 1 young man; see been-kove, omi-feeli. 2 sexual partner (boy) under the age of legal consent: jail-bait. [Pola., from It. “figlio”, son, child, boy, & perhaps influenced by Eng. “feel” (in sexual sense), or “filly” (see fili, below); Baker writes “filiomi”.]
feeli-pelone* n. 1 young woman. 2 sexual partner (girl) under the age of legal consent: jail-bait
feena* adj. fine (all senses): (a) subtle; (b) thin, slender; (c) excellent, clever; (d) refined, pure, dainty. — narda feena. rough; see fab, fayb, larj. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “fina”, fem. form of “fino”, fine; cf., Roma. “fino”, which Borrow says “is not pure Gypsy” (32).]
fem 1 adj. (a) female; (b) feminine. 2 n. (a) female; (b) feminine lesbian. — aun fem. of a cross-dresser or drag-queen, wearing female attire. [Eng., from Fr. “femme”, used as a common slang term (cf., Old Eng. law “feme”, woman, as in “feme covert”, married woman), listed in Baker.]
figis* 1 adj. [pertaining to a] fig. 2 n. (pl. -iz). fig. [Roma.]
figis-rook* n. fig-tree
fili adj. pretty. [Eng. “filly”.]
filta see in ogel-filtez
fineeto* 1 n. finish, end, completion. 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -de; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to finish, to end, to complete. — Fineeto[de]! End of story! leo dha fineeto tu. put an end to: extinguish (leo dha fineeto tu dha glima, put out a/the fire). [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “finito”, used in slang.]
firikaduz/a 1 n. (pl. -ez). knock-down blow. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to punch to the ground°, to knock down°. firikaduzering. 1 violent°. 2 punching to the ground°, violence°. — firikaduza erbree. knock out; see bateri, bati-fang. [Pola., derived, according to Baker, from Lat. “ferrum”, iron, & It. “caduta”, fall (Baker erroneously lists “caduca”; cf., It. “mal caduco”, epilepsy).]
firikaduza-erbree* n. knock-out [blow]: K.O.
firikaduzichude* n. (always in sing.). brutality (firikaduzichude a dha charpering omiz, police brutality)
firikaduzichudinosa* adj. brutal
firm* n. hole (unwanted: boura firm, [big] hole); see hev. [Cant “ferme”.]
firmay* intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to close, to shut (firmay dha geiga). [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “fermer” in the imperative mood (“fermez”).]
firmi* adj. full of holes: holey
fix* intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t, stuck; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to stick, to lodge. [Eng. “fix”.]
fizi adj. fizzy (fizi Jentu-akwa, [Indian] tonic water), sparkling (fizi Parliv’u-akwa, sparkling mineral water). [Eng.]
flanj 1 n. (pl. -iz). vagina (or pussy, fanny, etc.). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to walk along (street). [Eng. “flange”, conflated with Fr. “flâner”, to stroll; cf., Eng. “flanch” & “flank”.]
flati n. (a) (pl. -z. men). man [pej.]; (b) dupe, bimbo (flati a dha char-jala reir, blonde bimbo); (c) member of the audience: audience member (esp. male: flatiz an giliz, [mixed] audience: Flatiz an Giliz! Ladies and Gentlemen!); see gili1. [Pola.]
flei intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d or flone, flu; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to fly. fleiing. flying, flight (all senses: fleiing skurreeni, flying saucer; fleiing vakarya, aeroplane, [air]plane). — Ann nanti or no fleiz! I’m telling [you] the truth! Honestly! see in moge. [Eng.]
fli/k* n. (pl. -x). film, movie. [Eng. slang “flick”.]
flo* 1 n. 1 flow, current. 2 river. 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -de; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to flow, to stream. floleeni. creek, stream. — flo alay. flow or stream down. [Eng. “flow”; cf., It. “fiume”, river.]
flone see in flei
flu see in flei
foge/l n. (pl. -rlz). (a) handkerchief, hanky (kode a dha fogel); (b) [fogel fa dha froumerjen] neckerchief (kays fogel, silk neckerchief). [Pola.]
fogel-hount/a n. (pl. -ez). pick-pocket. — fayk dha fogel-hounting [in]. pick-pocket. [Pola.]
foges n. (always in sing.). 1 tobacco. 2 (a) smoke; (b) fumes. [Pola., from cant (including second meaning); according to Baker, perhaps from Eng. “fog”, i.e., smoke.]
fo/ke* n., treated as sing. (pl. -xe. relatives; by extension, family, folk, people) family member: relative (“Kweer Azz Foke”, “Queer As Folk”; dha foxe, the family or relatives; ya moudhez foxe, my family). — bilaung foxe. people’s, public. [Eng. “folk”; cf., Roma. “foky”.]
foof n. (pl. -s). breast (esp. woman’s), bosom; see jube. [Pola.]
fool adj. full, only as in dha fool arva (which see, in arva), dha fool drag (which see, in drag) & dha fool eek (which see, in eek); see plenni. [Eng.]
for1 1 adv. (a) [= dhis for] for [this reason]: because; (b) [= dhat for] for [that reason]: because. 2 prep. for. — enni for. for any reason. evri for. for every reason. for-so? why? how come? for dha/dhee. for the, used to form phrasal ns, where English uses compounds (ten fa/for dhee afeyrimento); see a dha/dhee, in a. nix for. for no reason. [Eng.]
for2* adv. why. [Composed of Eng. “for” & Roma. “so”, what.]
forchuni adj. gorgeous. [Pola., perhaps from It. “fortuna”, fortune, luck.]
formarla* adj. formal. — narda formarla. casual. [Corruption of It. “formale”.]
formarlichud/e* n. (pl. -ze). shape, form
formarlichudinosa* adj. shapely, form-fitting
for-so see in for
founges 1 adj. old° (not young). 2 n. (pl. -iz). old man (ya founges perayd, the old guard). [Pola., from Eng. “fungus”.]
founges-leik* adj. crotchety
fount n. pound (avoirdupois). [Pola.]
frau/k n. (pl. -x). female attire: frock, dress° (frauk bilaung laliz, trousers [facet.]). [Gay slang “frock”; properly not Pola., except in locution above.]
fraum prep. out of: from. [Eng.]
froumerje/n* 1 n. (pl. -rnz). neck. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -rnd; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to choke, to strangle. [Cant “frummagem”, choked.]
froumerjennichude* n. choking, strangulation
froumerjennimento* n. choking, strangulation (instance of)
fruti* 1 adj. [pertaining to] fruit. 2 n. fruit. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “frutti”.]
fujhe/n* n. (pl. -rnz). fern. [Roma. “fuzyanri” conforming to Eng. “fusion”.]