POLARI–ENGLISH DICTIONARY
(G–I)
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.
gajo 1 adj. strange°, foreign° (all senses). 2 n. (pl. -ze). (a) outsider, foreigner°, stranger°; (b) person who is not gay: straight°; (c) (loosely) Gentile°. — fayking dha gajo. straight-acting. in dha gajo temz. foreign (giliz-omi in dha gajo temz, foreign correspondent). [Pola., from Roma.; cf. Port. “gajo”, guy, or Eng. dialect “gadgie”, “gauje” (pej.), etc., fellow, listed in Chambers. Borrows gives “gorgio”, “Gentile, a person who is not a Gypsy; one who lives in a house and not in a tent” (33), deriving the word from Pers. “Cojia [khoja, ‘Eastern title of respect,’ Chambers (784)], which signifies a gentleman, a doctor, a merchant, etc. Span. Gyp. Gacho” (33).]
gam 1 adj. pertaining to the leg [esp. cul.] (gam karnish a dha [loulebei] bleeting cheet, leg of lamb). 2 n. 1 [session of] oral sex: esp. cunnilingus. 3 (a) leg [incl. cul.]; see lali; a bit of leg: flirtation°. 3 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). 1 to perform oral sex or cunnilingus. 2 to show off: to flirt. gaming. 1 oral sex: cunnilingus. 2 showing a bit of leg: (a) flirtatious; (b) showing off, flirting, flirtation. gaming omi. (fem.: gaming pelone) show-off, flirt, poseur. — fayk dha gaming. pose. fayking dha gaming. pose, posing. [Fr. “gamahucher”, to perform cunnilingus, conflated with It. “gamba”, leg; cf., Eng. “gam”, social intercourse (obs. US) or mouth (Scot.) & “gamash”, a kind of legging. Note that “gaming” as flirting derives from Rasula/Harlem Jive.]
gan* n. lip (all senses). — Ya moudhez ganz ar sived! My lips are sealed! [Cant; cf., Eng. “gam”, social intercourse (obs. US) or mouth (Scot.); see preceding.]
gan-fay/k* n. (pl. -x). lip ring. [Patterned on Pola. “nelli-fayk”, earring.]
gar* tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). 1 to hide, to conceal, to disguise. 2 to cover. gard. hid[den], secret, disguised (gard eek, disguis[ed face]). [Roma. “gare”; cf., following. Borrow suggests this word derives from Sans. “ghar”, to cover.]
gardilu 1 n. attention. 2 (a) intr. v. to take care: to beware; (b) tr. v. pay attention to: watch, to beware. — Gardilu! Look out! Watch out! see raumboyl. [Eng., from faulty Fr. “gare de l’eau”, i.e., “gare l’eau”, beware of the water, listed in Chambers as well as Baker; cf., Roma. “gare”, “warda”, to take care. Chambers attributes the word to Smollett, describing it as “the old warning cry in Edinburgh before throwing slops out of the window into the street” (584).]
garimento* n. (always in sing.). covering, concealment
gato* n. cat. gatoleeni. little cat (beejhuleeni gatoleeni, cute little cat: kitty[-cat]. gatoloni. big [domestic] cat. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “gatto”.]
gaut pp. of Eng. get (which see)
gav* n. town (boura gav, city). gaveeni. village. [Roma.]
gayj* n. (pl. -iz). 1 (a) [earthen] pot (gayj a maularves, tin pot; fayking a dha gayjiz, pottery; fayking omi/dona a dha gayjiz, potter); (b) jug. 2 [= gayjeeni] pipe (smokers’). gayjoni. boiler. [Cant, from Eng. “gauge”.]
Gayl 1 adj. Gayle[-speaking] (Gayl chal, Polari speaker). 2 n. (always in sing.). [= Gayl lingo] Gayle [“language”]. [Gayle, gay slang used in South Africa by black gay youth in the 1950s & later popularised by white airline stewards, in which, in gay tradition, female names were often used with new meanings.]
geig/a* n. (pl. -ez). door. (geiga ta dha karsi fa dha granem, barn-door). geigereeni. hatch. geigeroni. gate. [Cant “giger”; cf., Roma. “stiggur”, gate.]
gelt n. (always in sing.). (a) money (esp. ill-gotten gains: g’uli gelt, black money); (b) profit° (esp. ill-gotten). [Pola., from Yidd., listed in Chambers as well as Baker. Chambers gives “gelt”, slang for money or profit, from Du. “geld” or Germ. “Geld”.]
gerbreo* tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to bully. [A.-Ind. “gubbrow”.]
gerbreobelay* adj. who can be bullied. — narda gerbreobelay. who cannot be bullied
gerbreo-[h]omi*. bully
get tr. v. (pp./p. t. -tid, got[ten], became; -ing gerund/pres. part.). 1 to get, to cop. 2 to turn into, to become. [Eng.]
gez’upi 1 n. sexual favo[u]r. 2 (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). 1 intr. v. to provide sexual favo[u]rs for money (without thinking of oneself as a prostitute). 2 (a) intr. v. to fawn°; (b) tr. v. to cajole°, to flatter°. gez’upiing omi. (fem.: gez’upiing pelone) flatterer. — gez’upi ova. fawn over. [Gay slang “gazoopy”, listed in Baker, conflated with A.-Ind. “foozilow”, from Hind. “p’huslao”, flatter (imp. form).]
gez’upiarjhio* n. (always in sing.). cajolery, flattery
gildi adj. fancy (all senses). [Pola.]
gildimento* n. (always in sing.). fancy. — lel wouniz gildimento. take someone’s fancy: appeal to someone
gildo* 1 adj. [golden-]honey. 2 n. honey. [Roma. “gudlo” or “guldo”, sweetness, honey, sugar, conflated with Eng. “gild”.]
gildo-bar* n. gold (g’uli gildo-bar, black gold). — a [dha] gildo-bar. of gold: gold (marteeni a gouldo-bar, gold ring). [Calqued on Roma. “gudlo or guldo”, honey (from its color), + “bar”, stone (not a genuine Roma. term, but echoic of Eng. “gold bar”).]
gildo-bar-leik* adj. golden
gildo-parvi* n. tomato. [Calqued on It. “pomidoro”, “pomodoro”, i.e., “pomo d’oro”, golden apple.]
gildo-pisha* n. [honey-]bee. [Roma. “guldo pishen”.]
gili1 n. (a) (pl. -z. women). woman [not considered pej.]; (b) member of the audience: audience member (esp. female); see flati. [Pola.; cf.,. Eng. “gill” or “jill”, short for Gillian according to Chambers.]
gili*2 n. 1 song (jauga a gili, sing a song; see jauga). 2 (always in pl.). news. gili fa dha lettiing. lullaby. [Roma. “gillie”; cf., Pola. jili.]
giliz-omi* n. (fem.: giliz-dona/-pelone, newswoman) news[paper]man, reporter, corresondent. dha giliz-omiz. the press (dha rozi-leik giliz-omiz, the gutter-press). [Patterned on Pola. “strilez-omi”.]
gilrig n. (a) male object of one’s desire; (b) sexual activity. [Green lists this (“gylrig”) as Polari & wonders if it is backslang for “girl(y)”. Young also suggests backslang “girlyg[irl]”, which seems plausible; cf., Eng. “rig”, frolic, prank or trick, or even “whirligig”, which is a kind of toy & formerly a punishment, & Gael. “gille”, lad.]
gilt* 1 n. lock. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to lock. gilting cheet. key. [Cant “gilt”, picklock.]
gin* intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to count, to reckon. — gin azz. count as. gin oup. add or count up. [Roma.]
ginimento* n. (pl. -ze). reckoning
girl n. (a) girl; (b) term of address for, esp. gay man or lesbian, but ext. to others: girl; (c) vocal punctuation mark. [Eng.; Baker points out that “girl” often acts as a full-stop in gay slang (“…dolly ecafe, girl!” [31]); properly, not Pola.]
girrari* 1 turn. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to turn. — girrari reon. turn [a]round. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “girare”, with a hard “g”.]
giv* 1 adj. wheat. 2 n. (always in sing.). wheat. [Roma.]
givz-omi* n. (fem.: giv-dona/-pelone) wheat farmer. [Patterned on Pola. “strilez-omi”.]
glausi 1 adj. famous°. 2 n. magazine. [Eng. colloquialism “glossy (magazine)”, listed in Chambers as well as Baker; properly, not Pola.]
glausichude* n. (always in sing.). fame, celebrity
glausichudinosa* pleon. adj. famous
glausi-homi see glausi-omi
glausi-kove* n. famous person: celebrity
glausi-omi* n. famous man: celebrity. [Patterned on Pola. “strilez-omi”.]
glausi-pelone* n. famous woman: celebrity
glayz* 1 adj. [pertaining to] glass. 2 n. (always in sing.). glass. [Eng. “glaze”.]
glim/a* 1 adj. pertaining to fire. 2 n. (pl. -ez). 1 fire (Dha Boura Glima av Ein; glima a dha rookarjhio, forest fire). 2 light (all senses), lamp[light] (binko glima, kerosine lamp). 3 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed, lit; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to light (fire). — bee aun dha glima. be on fire: be aflame or in flames, burn; see hach. [Cant “glymmer”, from Eng. “glimmer”.]
glima-faykimento* n. (-ze, always in pl.). fireworks
glima-homi see glimez-omi
glima-mausko* n. firefly
glimez-omi* n. (fem.: glimez-dona/-pelone, female fire fighter) fire fighter: fireman. [Patterned on Pola. “strilez-omi”.]
glori n. glory. — O glori bee! Alleluia[h]! or Hallelujuh! [Eng.]
gloriosa* adj. glorious
goum* n. gum (all senses: Moudhez goumz ar ratiing.). [Eng.; cf.,, It. “gomma”.]
gouni* n. (a) gunny, hessian, jute; (b) [gunny-]sack, [hessian] bag (plastik gouni, plastic bag). gouni a dha palias. [back]pack, haversack. gouniing. bagging. [Eng. “gunny”, from Sans. “goni”; cf., Roma. “gono” or “goni”, “guni”, found in Indon.]
gouni-boy* n. bag boy [facet.]). [Hybrid word calqued on gay slang, properly not Pola. but listed in Baker.]
goutzi* adj. greedy (all senses); gluttonous. [Eng., from Scot. “gutsy”, gluttonous.]
goutzichude* n. (always in sing.). greed (all senses); gluttony
goutzi-[h]omi* n. (fem.: goutzi-pelone). greedy man or woman (all senses): glutton
granem* n. (always in sing.). corn, grain; see giv, panem. [Cant, from Lat. “granum”.]
granermz-omi* n. (fem.: granem-dona/-pelone) [grain] farmer. [Patterned on Pola. “strilez-omi”.]
grapeling see in ling-grapeling
graumena* n. thunder. — fayk [dha] graumena. thunder. [Roma. “grommena”, “grovena”, “grubbena”.]
graun* n. hail. — fayk [dha] graun. hail. [Romanian Roma. “grondinni”, it hails,according to Borrow (Lavengro, 568).]
graunday* adj. large. graundaymentay. largely. [Frenchified pronunciation of It. “grande”.]
Graycha* 1 adj. pertaining to Greece: Greek. 2 n. [= Tem bilaung Graycha] Greece. — bilaung Graycha. Greek (dha chalz bilaung Graycha, the Greeks; lingo bilaung Graycha, Greek; [omi-/pelone-]chal bilaung Graycha, Greek [man or -woman]). Graycha-palariing. Greek-speaking. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “Grecia”.]
grei* n. 1 horse (hav a grei-leik bagaja/hav a bagaja leik a greiz, be hung like a horse). 2 boyfriend or, less usually, girlfriend (chure enni wouniz grei, steal someone’s boyfriend or girlfriend). [Roma. “gry”.]
grei-leik* adj. horse-like
grount* intr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to grunt. grounting cheet. hog, pig, swine (grounting cheetz lati, [pig]sty [incl. fig.]; grounting omi-cheet, male pig; grounting pelone-cheet, sow). [Cant, from Eng. “grunt”.]
groyn n. (a) gem°, jewel°; (b) ring (esp. with a stone: fayking omi/pelone a dha groynz, jewellery-maker: jeweller); see fambel-cheet. [Pola.]
groynarjhio* n. (always in sing.). jewellery. [Pola.]
groyn-bar* n. precious stone: gemstone (beejhurreeni groyn-bar, carat or karat > a mauntrell a [dha] gildo-bar bilaung dui laung deja-kworta beejhurreeni groyn-barz, a 24-carat gold watch). [Hybrid word: Pola. “groyn” & Roma. “bar”, stone(weight).]
groyn-bar-leik* adj. precious
groynij = (proposed) groynarjhio
g’u* n. pudding, dessert. [Roma. “gooee”, “guyi”, conflated with Eng. “goo”.]
g’uli adj. black (color: g’uli an fay, black and white; g’uli g’u, black pudding; g’uli ogel-fayx, sunglasses; g’uli toba, black market). — in g’uli an fay. in black and white: black-and-white (ann eekaf in g’uli an fay). [Pola.; cf., Eng. “golliwog”, & Roma. “guyi”, black pudding.]
g’uli-bar* n. charcoal, coal. — a [dha] g’uli-bar. charcoal, coal
g’uli-chikel* n. blackbird
g’uli-dourel* n. blackberry
g’uli-rook/a* 1 n. (always in sing.). blackmail. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to blackmail. g’uli-rookering omi. (fem.: g’uli-rookering pelone). blackmailer
h- words: certain words beginning with a V take on an “h” by some speakers (e.g., harris, homi, etc.), typical of Cockney usage, which may be used in order to avoid a semi-vocalic glide between words (e.g., Kosha-homi). Conversely, when most speakers drop the initial “h”, this form is preferred (e.g., arva).
hach* 1 adj. pertaining to fire. 2 n. fire (esp.controlled, as in the grate). 3 (pp./p. t. -t, burnt; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) intr. v. to light a fire; (b) tr. v. 1 to burn (wood). 2 to fire (gun). — fayk a hach. make a fire. [Roma. “hatch”.]
hach-cheet* n. firearm, gun. hach-cheeteeni. gun (at a fair: storl fa dha hach-cheeteeniz, shooting gallery). [Calqued on Roma. “yag-engro”, lit., fire-thing.]
hach-ten* n. 1 hearth. 2 home
had see in hav
hambag n. 1 (always in sing.). money. 2 fortune°. — hambageeni. small fortune. hambagoni. large fortune; see in paygel. [Pola., from Eng. “handbag”.]
hansaleri* n. horse-radish. [A.-Ind. or Domestic Hind.]
harris variant of arris; see h- words
hart-eek*, hart-fays n. (always in sing.). term of address: dear. [Gay slang listed in Baker; properly, not Pola. Baker explains that “heartface” may be used ironically or sarcastically (33, in addition, presumably, to affectionately).]
harva variant of arva. — hav dha harva see hav dhee arva, in arva; see h- words
hatichoo/k n. (pl. -x). artichoke. [A.-Ind. or Domestic Hind. “hattichook”.]
Haubsen-Jaubsen* n. double-Dutch, Greek (Sheez sor Haubsen-Jaubsen tu ya moudha). [A.-Ind. “Hobson-Jobson”, “a native festival excitement” (Yule, 419). Yule continues: “This phrase may be taken as a typical one of the most highly assimilated class of Anglo-Indian argot” (ibid.).]
hav v. (a) aux. (ya moudha had/haz mounjarid, u had/hav mounjarid, shee had/haz mounjarid, ya moudhez had/hav mounjarid, dhay had/hav mounjarid). have; (b) tr. (pp./p. t. had or -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.; haz 3rd pers.). to have (all senses), to own. [Eng.]
Hay! voc. Hey! — Hay deeri! Hey you!
haych = aych
haz see in hav
heer tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to hear; used only in the following (see nelliarda). heering cheet. ear. [Eng.; “hearing cheat” is cant.]
hei1 adj. high. — hei in dha vauchi. loud (of voice). narda hei in dha vauchi. soft (of voice). [Eng.]
Hei!2 voc. Hi! — Hei ya! How are you? Hiya!
hei-eekaf* adj. high-profile
heo adv. [interrog. = heo-so] how. [Eng., with Roma. “so” desinence.]
heo/s n. (irreg. pl. -ziz). group of gay friends, drag-queens or transsexuals living together: house. [US gay slang, originally African American, listed in Baker; properly, not Pola.]
heos-moudha n. person in charge of a heos (“house”): house mother. [US gay slang, originally African American, listed in Baker; properly, not Pola.]
hev* n. hole (made for a purpose). hevveeni. small hole (hevveeni a dha baush, glory-hole, peep-hole [in toilet-stall partition large enough not only for viewing but also for inserting an erect penis]; hevveeni fa dha gilting cheet, keyhole; hevveeni fa dha krarfniz, buttonhole). hevvoni. large hole or opening (hevvoni a dha geiga, threshold; hevvoni for a meyrd-kove, grave). — aun dha hevvoni auv. on the threshold of. [Roma. “hev”.]
hir (a) dir. obj. pron. her: him°, it° (referring to inanimate objects); (b) poss. adj. her, his°, it° (referring to inanimate objects). hir self. herself: himself°, itself°. hirz. hers: his°, its° (referring to inanimate objects). [Eng. Gender-neutral pronouns do not exist in Eng., & so have been problematical for many feminists & transgender activists. While Feinberg states that s/he does not “have a personal stake in whether the trans liberation movement results in a new third pronoun, or gender-neutral pronouns, like the ones, such as ze (she/he) and hir (her/his)” (x), s/he continues that the hyphened pronouns, “he-she”, used pejoratively by heterosexuals, “illuminated a limitation of pronouns in the Eng. language. (…) The hypenation signals a crisis of language and an apparent social contradiction, since sex and gender expression are ‘supposed’ to match” (97; ellipsis added). Needless to say, pelone-omi, lit., “she-man” & omi-pelone, lit., “he-woman”, predate the Stonewall Rebellion of 1969 & the subsequent rise of gay liberation.]
hol/e n. (pl. -lze). orifice, hole [anat.]. [Eng.]
homi variant of omi (which see); see h- words. [Pola., from It. “uomo”, man, with initial “h”, typical of Cockney.]
homi-pelone variant of omi-pelone; see h- words
hoonki* 1 n. (always in sing.). ringing of the changes: fraud, cheating, swindle, trick, con[fidence trick]. 2 (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) intr. v. to cheat; (b) tr. v. to cheat, to defraud, to do out of, to trick, to con, to swindle. hoonkiing omi. (fem.: hoonkiing pelone) cheat, fraudster, swindler, [confidence] trickster, con artist. — fayk dha hoonki. ring the changes. [Roma. “hukni”, by metathesis.]
hoonki-leik* adj. fraudulent
hootzpa* variant of khootzpa
horki* n. (always in sing.). copper. — a [dha] horki. [of] copper. [Roma. “horkipen”, minus -pen desinence.]
hounta see in fogel-hounta
houzbe/n n. (pl. -rnz) male lover (esp. gay): (a) partner (in a long-term relationship), (loosely) husband (betti houzben, hubby); (b) one-night stand. — get a houzben. get married: marry (nix dha teip ta get a houzben, not the marrying type; an omi h’uze gettid a houzben, a married man). houzben auf. marry [off]. sanz houzben. unmarried. [Eng. “husband”, gay slang listed in the main gay slang section of Baker; properly, not Pola.]
houzbenarjhio* n. (pl. -ze). marriage
HP /(h)aychpee:/ abbrev. of homi-pelone (see omi-pelone)
h’u pron. (a) interrog. [= h’u-so] who (H’uze/h’u-soze dha strilering omi? Who’s the pianist?); (b) rel. [= waut] who[m] (“Emory: H’u mous-ya moudha charva for a bevvi shay akoy?” [Crowley, 25]). — h’uze. (a) whose; (b) [= h’u-soze] who’s; see so. [Eng.]
hul/e* n. (pl. -ze). prong; see tray-hule. [Backformation from Roma. “trihool”, cross.]
h’up/e 1 n. (pl. -se). anus, arse[hole] (akt or fayk dha h’upe, have anal sex: commit buggery or sodomy). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -te; -ing gerund/pres. part.; -se 3rd pers.). 1 (a) to copulate anally (h’upe ta dhee aultrantz, anally rape); (b) to copulate anally with. 2 to pluck° (h’upe wouniz ogel-reidez, pluck one’s eyebrows). h’uping. 1 anal sex: sodomy, buggery (h’uping omi, person who indulges in anal sex: sodomite, bugger; h’uping tu dhee aultrantz, anal rape). 2 plucking°. [Eng. “hoop”, gay slang listed in the main gay slang section of Baker; properly, not Pola.]
h’upe-fayk* n. colostomy [bag]. [Calqued on Fr. “anus artificiel”.]
-ibelay* adj. desin.: (a) that can be; (b) worthy of being; (c) that must be: -able, -eble, ible; see narda (c); Morphology, above. [Mock It.]
-ichude* see -chude
-id see in -d
if conj. if. [Eng.]
-ik* suff. marking (a) adj.or (b) n. form of -ics: -ic; see Morphology, above. [Eng.]
-ikel* adj. suff. -ical. Morphology as for -ik. [Eng.]
-imentay* see -mentay
-imento* see -mento
imporchun/e tr. v. (pp./p. t. -de; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to solicit for sex: to importune; be on the make or prowl. [facet. (Baker adds, “Ironic and often bitter use of legalese” [33])]. [Eng.]
in prep. in. [Eng.]
indik* n. turkey. [Yidd.]
-ing gerund/pres. part./cont.t. -ing; see Morphology, above. [Eng.]
inta unstressed variant of intu (which see)
intentzo* 1 n. (pl. -ze). intention. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -de; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to intend (eemag av dha lavz intentzode). [Corruption of It. “intento”.]
intu prep. into (always used before VV). [Eng.]
-ioni* n. suff. -ion. [Eng.]
irnis* 1 n. (pl. -iz). part, share. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to share. irnist. (a) parted, shared; (b) apart, separate[d]. — irnis intu dui [irnisiz]. part, separate. in[tu] dui irnisiz. in[to] two parts: apart (bee irnist intu dui [irnisiz], be parted, be separated). [Cant, from Eng. “earnest”.]
-istik* adj. suff. -istic. Morphology as for -ing. [Eng.]
-isto* suff. marking agent form of -ism: -ist. Morphology as for -ing. [Eng.]
it pron. it (restricted use: (a) used to refer to a short-term sexual partner; (b) used to refer back to previous information, or is non-specific; see in hir, shee). [Eng., with specific Pola. usage.]
-iti* n. suff. -ity; see -chude. [Eng.]
-ito* see -to
iv* n. (always in sing.). snow. — parni dhee iv. snow (Sheez parniiing dhee iv! It’s snowing!). [Roma.]
iv-cheet* n. snowman
-ix* suff. marking characteristics, science, theory or management: -ics. [Eng.]
iz see in bee1, -z1/2/3
-izmo* suff. marking characteristics, abnormal condition, industry, art practice, movement, culture or science: -ism. -y. Morphology as for -ing. [Eng.]