POLARI–ENGLISH DICTIONARY
(S–T)
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.
-s see -z1/2/3
sal* 1 n. laugh. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to laugh. saling. laughing, laughter. [Roma. “sal”, he laughs, “saw”, I laugh.]
Samedi* n. Saturday. [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “samedi”.]
sanz* prep. (a) without; (b) unbound pref., used to express a lack: lacking, -less (see under relevant headword: sanz a saulti, penniless). [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “sans”; cf., It “senza”.]
sapnis* 1 n. soap. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to soap. — sapnis oup. soap up. [Roma.]
sarl/a* n. (pl. -ez). evening. — dhis sarla. this evening: tonight. lars sarla. yesterday evening. nex sarla. tomorrow evening. in dha sarla. in the evening: p.m. (in expressions of time, as opposed to in the morning; use “dives” for afternoon hours 1–4: chinka cheimz in dha sarla, five [o’clock] in the evening, five p.m.). [Roma.]
sarp* n. (pl. -s). snake, serpent (a sarp in dha char). [Roma. “sa(r)p”.]
sarp-leik* adj. snake-like, serpentine
sasta* 1 adj. iron. 2 n. (always in sing.). iron (fayking omi a dha sasta, blacksmith). [Roma. “saster”.]
sauldi n. (a) = variant of saulti; (b) sale [of reduced items]° (“dha sauldiz”, “the sales”). [Pola., from It. “soldo” in the pl.]
sauleme/n* n. church service: mass. [Cant “Solomon”.]
saulemen-janka* 1 n. oath. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to swear (saulemen-janka a saulemen-janka, swear an oath; saulemen-janka mogimentay, swear falsely). [Conflation of Roma. “saulohaul”, “sovlehaul”, oath, with cant “Solomon”, as above, & Hind. “jhakna”, oath.]
saulibari* 1 n. brake. 2 intr. v. to brake. — leo aun dha saulibariz. put the brakes on. [Roma. “salivaris”, “sollibari”, bridle.]
saulti n. (a) (pl., -z. pence). penny; (b) cent°. — sanz a saulti. without a penny: penniless, broke. nix hav a juzei auv a saulti. not be worth a penny: be worthless. [Pola., variant of the preceding.]
sauri* 1 adj. sorry; apologetic. 2 n. apology. [Eng.]
sauvehari* n. carpet, rug. sauveharileeni. [scatter] rug. [Roma. “sovaharri”.]
savi 1 adj. knowledgeable, savvy, intelligent, practical. 2 n. (always in sing.). (a) knowledge, know-how, skill, intelligence; (b) [= ordineyr savi] practical or common sense. 3 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to know, to understand (savi bonichude fraum kirtirvichude, know right from wrong. Savi? [Do you] understand?). — savi oup. to believe (all senses), to think (savi oup leik dhat, believe or think so). narda savi. (a) ignorant, unintelligent; (b) impractical. [Pola., from Eng. slang “savvy”, from Sp. “saber”, to know, listed in Chambers as well as Baker. This is an example of a widely used Pidgin word readily adoped into Pola.]
savibelay* adj. knowable. — narda savibelay. unknowable
savichude* n. (always in sing.). knowledge, wisdom, prudence
savichudinosa* adj. knowledgeable, wise, prudent
savi-homi, saviisto* = savi-omi
saviizmo* n. (pl. -ze). philosophy. — a dha saviizmo. philosophical, wise
savimento* n. (rare pl. -ze). knowledge (instance of)
savi-omi* n. (fem.: savi-dona/-pelone) philosopher
saviosa* adj. skilful
savi-oup* n. (pl. -s). belief. [Hybrid word: Pola. “savi” & Eng. “up”, metathetically patterned on Roma. “apasavello”, I believe.]
say num. six. sayto. sixth. saytomentay. sixly. — say laung deja. sixty. say laung dejito. sixtieth. say laung lepta. sixteen. say laung leptito. sixteenth. [Parly., from It. “sei”.]
say-dui obs. num. eight; see auta. [Parly.]
saym* 1 adj. (a) same; (b) equal. 2 adv. [= saymimentay] alike. — sor dha saym. all the same: nevertheless, nonetheless. [Eng. “same”; cf., Roma. “simen”, from Sans. “samâna”, (seen in Indon. “sama”).]
saym/a* 1 adv. together (mounjari sayma). 2 n. (pl. -ez). (a) (i) group, gathering; (ii) pack (a sayma a dha jugeloniz a dha nauchi); (b) (i) set; (ii) series; (c) team; (d) bout (all senses). — lel sayma. group or get together: gather. [Corruption of It “insieme”.]
sayn* n. needle (all senses), syringe. sayneeni. bristle. — fayk dha sayneeniz. bristle. [Roma. “sainyor”, “scunyes”, “scunyor”, pins.]
say-saulti* n. sixpence
sayto see in say
say-tray obs. num. nine; see nauba. [Parly.]
say-wouni obs. num. seven; see setta. [Parly.]
see n. letter C (cee). [Eng.]
seid 1 adj. side. 2 n. side (all senses). 3 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to side (all senses). [Eng.]
seid-eekaf* n. profile (of head)
sekke/n n. (pl. -rnz). second (of time)
selisit intr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to walk around in public en travesti (as Emily Howard was wont to do in “Little Britain”); see orda aun dha bata, in bata, imporchune. [Eng. “solicit” used colloquially; properly not Pola.]
sempray* adv. always. — pir sempray. for ever[more]. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “sempre”.]
sent/a* 1 n. (a) (always in sing.). feel; (b) (pl. -ez). perception. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed, felt; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to feel, to perceive. [Corruption of It. “sentire”.]
sentimento* n. (pl. -ze). feeling (all senses), sentiment
serpreiz n. (pl. -iz). surprise. [Eng.]
setta num. seven. settito. seventh. settitomentay. seventhly. — setta laung deja. seventy. setta laung dejito. seventieth. setta laung lepta. seventeen. setta laung leptito. seventeenth. [Parly., from It. “sette”.]
Setta-chune* n. September. [setta + Roma. “choon”, moon.]
Settidives see Diminj
settito see in setta
seyra adj. sensitive, delicate. [Gayle “Sarah”.]
shamsh/a n. (pl. -ez). looker (bona shamsha, good looker: good-looking or handsome man; kaud shamsha, ugly person: dog). [Pola., perhaps from Eng. backslang “smasher”.]
shap n. hat (shap a dha dooka, chapeau du [sic] chance). [Pola., from cant; cf., Fr. chapeau.]
Sharda! voc. [What a] pity or shame! [Pola., from Germ. “schade”; according to Baker, sharda was “introduced into a version of Polari used in Ipswich [UK] in the 1970s” (53).]
sharnd/a* n. disgrace, shame. — Sharnda! Disgraceful! Shameful! sanz sharnda. shameless [Yidd. “shande”.]
sharnderosa* adj. disgraceful
sharp/a 1 n. (pl. -ez, policemen, the police). policeman (better, sharpering omi; see 2, below). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed, stole[n]; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to steal, to thieve. sharpering. stealing, thieving°. sharpering dona. 1 [female] thief°. 2 = charpering dona. sharpering omi. 1 thief. 2 = charpering omi. [Parly. variant of charpa (which see).]
sharping omi variant of sharpering omi (1, which see, in sharpa)
shau/k* n. (pl. -x). cabbage. [Roma. “sho(c)k”.]
shauka* adj. silly (shauka kakel or pelarva, gibberish, gabble, jabber: fayk dha shauka kakel or pelarva, gabble, jabber). [It. “sciocca”, fem. form of “sciocco”, conflated with Eng. “shocker”.]
Shaukeru!* voc. Shocking! [Eng. “shock” (Andy Warhol explains in his Diaries [305] that “shockeroo” is a “Diani Vreeland word”.)]
shaun/k 1 n. (pl. -x). hit, strike°, slap°. 2 tr v. (pp./p. t. -kt; -king gerund/pres. part.; -x 3rd pers.). to hit, to strike° (all senses), to slap°; see bati-lapa. [Pola., origin unknown (perhaps from Yidd.).]
shaut n. 1 shot. 2 fly° or flies° (of trousers); see in shute. [Eng. “shot”; the 2nd meaning is calqued on It. “sparato”.]
shay* prep. at the home, house or place of: at …’s place, chez (shay Marthaz). — shay akoy. [a]round here, [a]round these parts. shay dheyr. (a) [at] their place; (b) by extension, among[st] or of them (also, shay dhem). shay hir. [at] her or his place. shay mwar. [= shay ya moudhez] [at] my place. shay n’u. [= shay ya moudhez] (a) [at] our place, [at (our)] home; (b) by extension, among[st] or of us (Ei wir say shay n’u. There were six of us.). shay v’u. (a) [at] your place; (b) by extension, among[st] or of you. [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “chez”.]
shayd see in ogel-shaydz
shayk wouniz daus v. phrase. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to throw or turf someone out. [Pola. “shake one’s doss” (Lucas, 97).]
shee pron. (a) she; (b) he°; (c) he or she: “s/he”° (Feinberg; see etymological note in hir); (d) it° (referring to inanimate objects; see it). [Eng. Baker lists “she” in his Pola. dictionary (in his general dictionary of gay slang, he also includes the locution “hell-sparking the pronoun”, which is to “use gender pronouns in a non-traditional way” [144], ), pointing out that this feminine third person pronoun may “refer to gay men (… or …) heterosexual men, sometimes in order to deliberately undermine a case of self-assured masculinity” (53; ellipses added). Note, too, that Eng. “she”, in the sense of “it”, has a long history colloquially in the “naf” world: e.g., “She’ll be apples or right!”]
sheesh 1 adj. (a) overly or elaborately ornamented (of things); (b) [overly] showy, fussy or affected; see jhooshi. 2 n. (always in sing.). fuss. — fayk a sheesh. make a fuss. in a sheesh fashen. in an affected manner. sanz enni sheesh. without any fuss: informal[ly]. [Pola., perhaps from Fr. “chichi”, fuss or carry-on; cf., Fr. “chiche”,mean, & A.-Ind. “cheechee”, “a disparaging term applied to half-castes or Eurasians (…) and also to their manner of speech” (Yule, 186).]
sheeshee* adj. stylish, smart, posh; see blarzay, dauli. [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “chichi”, fuss, in error for “chicos”; see preceding.]
sheesh-keb’ushe* n. [stretch] limo[usine]
sheike/l n. (pl. -rlz). wig. sheikeleeni. toupet. sheikeloni. oversize wig (as worn by Dolly Parton, etc.). [Pola., from Yidd. “sheytl”.]
shend/a* intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). 1 (a) to get on (horse, bus), to mount (horse), to get in (car); (b) to climb. 2 to rise. [Anglicised corruption of It. “ascendere”.]
shershu* n. rabbit. shershurroni. hare. [Roma. “sheshu”, “shoshoi”.]
shila* adj. cold. shilereeni. cool. [Roma. “shilleno”, “shilleró”, “shillo”.]
shilimento* n. (always in sing.). coldness
Shinwarz 1 adj. pertaining to China: Chinese. 2 n. [= Tem bilaung Shinwarz] China. — bilaung Shinwarz. Chinese (dha chalz bilaung Shinwarz, the Chinese; lingo bilaung Shinwarz, Chinese; [omi-/pelone-]chal bilaung Shinwarz, Chinese). [Pola., from Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “chinoise”, the feminine form of Chinese, listed in Baker under the spelling “schinwhars”.]
Shinwarz-parvi* 1 adj. [pertaining to or the colo(u)r of an] orange. 2 n. orange. [Calqued on Germ. “Apfelsine”; i.e., “Chinese apple”.]
shlep* 1 n. drag (all senses, apart from crossdressing: Leif kan bee a shlep enni kwaun). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to drag. [Yidd. “s(c)help”, listed in Chambers.]
shloumf variant of shoumf (a)
shmout/a* n. (pl. -ez). (a) [any] rag; (b) [cleaning-]cloth (shmouta fa dhee ordering marreer, cum rag). [Yidd. “shmatte”, “schmutter”, listed in Chambers.]
shmouta-leik* adj. ragged
sho* 1 n. (pl. -ze). (a) thing, object; (b) interest (all senses: shoze a dha ken, commercial interests). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -de; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to interest (bona shode, interested; bona shoding, interesting). — fayk dha fabulosa shoze for. do wonders for. [Roma. “sho”; cf., Eng. “show”, Fr. “chose”.]
shod/e n. (pl. -ze). penis, cock, dick, etc. [Pola., from Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “chaude”, hot (fem.); cf., Fr. “chaude-pisse”, the clap.]
shood modal. should. shooda = unstressed form of shoodev. should have (should’ve). [Eng.]
shoosh variant of jhoojh. intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t, stole[n]; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to steal, to burgle (shoosh ta dhee aultrantz, plunder). shooshing. stealing, burglary (shooshing a dha karsi, house-breaking-burglary). shooshing omi. (fem.: shooshing dona/pelone) thief, burglar (shooshing omi a dha karsi, house-breaker, burglar); see pauga. [Pola. variant of jhoojh (which see).]
shoosh/a (pl. -ez). variant of jhoosha
shoosh-bag n. burglar’s swag or bag. [Portmanteau-word listed in Baker.]
shoumf tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) to drink [down or up] (Sh[l]ounf ya veerra deon! Drink up your gin!); (b) to swallow°; (c) take° (pill). — shoumf aun. suck on. shoumf reon aun dha ling. suck (a lolly). [Pola., perhaps from Yidd.]
shoush[a] variant of jhoosh[a] or shoosh[a]
Shtoom!* voc. Ssh! — shtoom oup. be quiet.[Yidd., listed in Green (“shtum [up]”).]
shtoop* see charva. [Yidd., listed in Green (“schtup”).]
shube* n. (pl. -ze). gown. [Roma. “shoob”, “shubbo”.]
shut/e intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. shaut or -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to shoot. [Eng.]
shvartz/a 1 adj. black, esp. African-American (shvartza homi/pelone, black man/woman). 2 n. (pl. -ez). black, esp. African-American. — bilaung shvartza. black, African-American; see dinj. [Yidd.]
shvitz* n. sweat, perspiration. — fayk dha shvitz. sweat, perspire (fayk dha shvitz leik a grounting cheet); see swet. [Yidd.; cf., Esp. “ŝvito”.]
shvitzi* adj. sweaty, perspiring
shwar n. 1 attractive, good-looking or handsome, esp. young, man. 2 choice°, pick°. — fayk dha shwar. choose, pick. [Gay slang “schwa”, listed in Baker, from Fr. “choix”, choice; properly, not Pola.]
sikeyr* 1 n. show (all senses). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d, shown; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) to show; (b) reveal. [Roma. “sikkér”.]
sikeyrimento* n. revelation
sim/a* 1 n. pledge. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to pledge, to pawn. [Roma. “simmer”.]
simkin* n. (always in sing.). champagne. [A.-Ind. “samkin”, “sim(p)kin”, listed in Chambers.]
siv/a* intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed, sewn; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to sew. sivering omi. (fem. sivering dona/pelone. seamstress) tailor. — faykt pir dha sivering omi. tailor-made; see in gan. [Roma. cf., Roma. “sovie”, needle.]
siva-cheet* n. [sewing] needle. [Calqued on Roma. “siva-mengri”, sewing thing.]
skarp/a 1 n. run°, race°. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). (a) to run°, to race°; (b) to run [away], to escape (skarpa dha jetti, abscond, leave or take off without paying). skarpa a dha greiz. horse-race. skarpering. (a) running, racing (skarpering grei, race-horse; skarpering vello, racing bike); (b) running away, escaping. skarpering a dha greiz. horse-racing. — Skarpa erbree! Run for your life! [Eng. slang “scarper”, from It. “scappare”, escape, listed in Chambers as well as Baker; cf., It. “scarpa”, shoe.]
skarparli, skarpeli variants of skarpa, used in the infinitive or imperative mood only. [Parly. form of the preceding.]
skarpimento* n. (pl. -ze). escape
skauch n. (pl. -iz). leg (of a chair, table, etc.). [Cockney rhyming slang “Scotch pegs”, i.e., legs, listed in Baker; properly, not Pola.]
Skip* 1 adj. pertaining to Australia: Australian. 2 n. [= Tem bilaung Skip] Australia. — bilaung Skip. Australian (dha chalz bilaung Skip, the Australians; lingo bilaung Skip, Australian English; [omi-/pelone-]chal bilaung Skip, Australian). [JB, from Eng. “skip”, taken from the 1960s Australian television show “Skippy”, often applied derogatively by “ethnic” Australians to those of Anglo-Saxon origin.]
skirt* 1 n. 1 skirt. 2 (a) skit, sketch; (b) (-z, usually in pl., though note the sing.: a pogee a skirt, a bit of skirt [i.e., a bit of (sexual) fun]). (a) joke; (b) fun, amusement. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -id; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to amuse. — bee skirtid. be amused. bee skirting. be funny (of person), be amusing. [Eng. “skirt” conflated with It. “scherzo”, joke, listed in Chambers.]
skirti* adj. funny, amusing. — bee skirti. be funny or amusing (of situation)
skirtz-omi* n. (fem.: skirtz-pelone) joker. [Patterned on Pola. “strilez-omi”.]
skivi* intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to knit. — fayk dha skiviing. do the knitting. [Roma. “siva”, sew, conflated with Eng. “skivvy”.]
skivi-cheet* n. knitting-needle
skouvari* tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) to dig; (b) to mine (skouvarid cheet, mineral [all senses]; skouvarid tem, mine). skouvariing cheet. spade. skouvariing cheetoni. shovel. skouvariing omi. (fem.: skouvariing dona/pelone) miner. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “scavare”; cf., Eng. “excavate”.]
skreem intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) to be loudly evident (esp. in an effeminate way): to scream; (b) to moan° (esp. as one approaches orgasm); (c) to scream, to wail (of siren). skreeming. (a) affecting loud and effeminate behavio[u]r or manners: outrageous, screaming (skreeming kween, screaming queen; skreeming omi or dona/pelone, screamer, moaner); (b) moaning; (c) screaming, wailing (skreeming keb’ushe, ambulance; charpering omiz skreeming keb’ushe, police car); (d) loud (of color). skreeming omi. (fem.: skreeming pelone) person who moans during sex, esp. when approaching orgasm. [Eng. colloquialism “screaming”, listed in Chambers as well as Baker, although effeminacy is merely implied in the former; properly, not Pola.]
skreev 1 adj. pertaining to (a) (i) written material; (ii) writing implement°; (b) scribble°. 2 n. (a) written material; (b) scribble°. 3 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d, written; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) to write (skreev with dha vakarya, type); (b) to scribble°. skreeving. (a) writing (skreeving a dha rookez, letter-writing, correspondence; skreeving vakarya, (a) typewriter; (b) computer; skreeving with dha vakarya, typewriting, typing); (b) scribbling°. skreeving cheet. writing implement: pen. skreeving omi. (fem.: skreeving dona/pelone) 1 writer (skreeving omi/pelone a dha rookez, letter-writer, correspondent). 2 clerk. — skreev oup. fill in or out: complete (form). [Parly., from Eng. “screeve”; cf., “screed”, “scribble”, “scribe” Note how “skreem” & “skreev” preserve Nietzsche’s schreiben/schrei couplet.]
skreev-wort/a* n. (rare pl. -ez). ink
sku* n. (pl. -ze) 1 (a) dish; (b) plate. 2 course. skurreeni. saucer. skuroni. platter. sku fa dha karnish. meat dish. sku fa dha lap. soup dish. [Cant “skew”.]
skuarda* n. (pl. -ze). plateful
sku-cheet* n. (-z, always in pl.). crockery
skwitz*, dha n. (always in pl.). diarrhoea. — hav dha skwitz. have diarrhoea. [Eng. slang “squits”.]
slang intr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to perform [on stage]. slanging. performing (slanging ten, set). slanging omi (fem.: slanging dona/pelone) performer. [Parly.]
slap n. (always in sing.). [stage] make-up; see makiarjhio, mouk. [Eng. “slap”, by metonymy; listed in Chambers as well as Baker; properly, not Pola.]
slayt* n. (a) cloth, material; (b) sheet (slayt a/fa dha betti, bedsheet). slayteeni. (a) cloth; (b) [= slayteeni fa dha messeli] tablecloth. [Cant “slate”.]
sling-ba/k n. (-x, always in pl.). high heels, sling-backs; see stampa. [Eng. “sling-back(ed shoe)”, listed in Chambers as well as Baker; properly, not Pola.]
smel* n. 1 flower. 2 flavo[u]r. — fayk dha smelz. flower, bloom. [From cant “smelling cheat”, garden, not used in Pola.; cf.,. Old Fr. flaor, flavor; see following.]
smelli n. (-z, always in pl.). perfume, scent, fragrance. [Eng. hypocoristic “smellies”.]
so1 adj. homosexual, gay (so veibz, gay vibes); see in dha leif, in leif. [Gay slang “so” listed in Cory; properly, not Pola.]
so2* 1 adv./conj. so. 2 pron. [= waut] 1 what (So did moudha palari? What did I say?). 2 (a) what; (b) which; (c) [= h’u, dhat] who, that (dhee omi soze pelarvering, the man [who’s] speaking). — ann so forth. and so forth, etc. so with. what with (introductory). soze. 1 what is/what’s (Soze dha brad? What’s the cost? How much? Soze ya dauli? What’s the matter?). 2 whose. So is used where “which”, “who” or “that” may be dropped in English. [Eng. “so” conflated with Roma. “so”, what, which.]
-so3* suff. part. forming (a) questions (see in akoy, asarles, for, heo, h’u & kwaun) or (b) neg. (see in nix). [Roma. “so” desinence.]
sor* adj./adv./pron. all. — sor dha cheim. all the time. [Roma. “sore”, “soro”.]
sor-dho* conj. although. [Hybrid word: Pola. “sor” & Eng. “though”.]
sorell/a n. (pl. -ez). (a) (i) close friend; (ii) close friend with whom one once had a sexual relationship; (b) any gay person; (b) life partner in a [now] sexless union. O sorella! Oh, brother! [Gay slang “sister” rendered in It. (cf., Capote, who addressed Andrew Lyndon as “my own true sorella” [212]).]
sorlo* n. (pl. -ze). morning. — bona sorlo. early. dhis sorlo. this morning. lars sorlo. yesterday morning. nex sorlo. tomorrow morning. in dha sorlo. in the morning: a.m. (in expressions of time, as opposed to in the evening; use “nauchi” for early-morning hours 1–4: chinka cheimz in dha sorlo, five [o’clock] in the morning, five a.m.). [Roma.]
sormose* adv. almost, practically. [Hybrid word calqued on “all” + “most”: Roma. “sore” & Eng. “most”.]
sor-rusli* adj. almighty
soub* prep. beneath, under, below, underneath. [Lat. “sub”, under.]
soub-* prefix. sub-, under-. [Eng./Lat.]
soub-brays n. underarm. reirz a dha soub-brays = reirz soub dha brays. underarm hair
soub-feeli* adj. underage (soub-feeli ling-grapeling, underage sex)
soub-kafi* n. (-z, always in pl.). underpants
soze see in so2
Spag* 1 adj. pertaining to Italy: Italian. 2 n. [= Tem bilaung Spag] Italy. — bilaung Spag. Italian (dha chalz bilaung Spag, the Italians; lingo bilaung Spag, Italian; [omi-/pelone-]chal bilaung Spag, Italian). Spag-palariing. Italian-speaking. [Eng.truncation of “spaghetti”, by metonymy (as in “spag-fag” & “spag-fag”, listed in Baker [196]).]
Spag-jarva* n. cappuccino
spin* 1 adj. [pertaing to] carrot. 2 n. carrot. [Roma. “spinyor”, carrots.]
spirrarli* n. coil, curl, spring. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “spirale”; cf., Esp. “spiralo”.]
stamp/a 1 n. (pl. -ez). shoe. stamperoni. boot; see bayt. 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). (a) to stampede°; (b) to trample°. — stampa wouniz stampez. stamp one’s feet. [Pola., from cant, ultimately from Eng. “stamp”; cf., “stampede”.]
stan* 1 adj. [pertaining to] deer. 2 n. (pl. -z. deer). deer. [Roma. “stannyi”, “staunyo”; cf., Eng. “stand (of deer)”.]
stan-jala* adj. fawn (Arfta-Medza av a Stan-Jala Joumpereeni).
start/a n. (-ez, always in pl.). lubricant, lube (applied to the anus: leo startez aun dha dish, lube up). [Gay slang listed in Baker; properly not Pola.]
steem/a 1 adj. active°: bull° or butch°. 2 n. (pl. -ez). 1 (a) prostitute’s client: john; (b) client, customer (Dha steema iz sempray reit). 2 [= steema homi] “active” gay man: “top man”; see in tauj. [Cockney rhyming slang “steam tug”, i.e., mug, listed in Baker; properly not Pola. (2nd meaning is gay slang).]
stif n. (pl. -s). paper. [Eng slang “stiff”, esp. forged paper, listed in Chambers as well as Baker.]
stimp 1 n. (pl. -s). (a) leg; (b) shaved leg°. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.; -s 3rd pers.). to shave. — stimp wouni self. to shave one’s legs°. [Pola.]
stimp-kouv/a n. (-ez, always in pl.). [nylon] stockings: nylons. [Hybrid word: Pola. “stimp” & Eng. “cover”.]
stoug/a* 1 n. (pl. -ez) pile, stack. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to pile, to stack. [Roma. “stuggur”; cf., Eng. “stagger”.]
strech tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to stretch. [Eng.; cf., Esp. “streĉi”.]
stril/a 1 adj. (-ez, always in pl.) [pertaining to the] piano[-forte]. 2 n. 1 (a) [any] musical instrument; (b) (-ez, always in pl.) piano[-forte]. 2 musician (vaygeriing strilering omi or dona/pelone, travelling musician or showman); see below. 3 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to play [music] (strila dha strilez, play the piano). strilering. [playing] music (strilering drarma, musical). strilering omi. (fem.: strilering dona/pelone) musician; ext. to [aun dha strilez] piano man/woman, piano player, pianist. — strila aun. play [on] (a musical instrument: strila aun dha baush, play the violin). [Pola., from Parly.; Baker suggests connection with It. “strillare”, to scream, to shriek.]
strilez-omi n. (fem.: strilez-dona/-pelone) = (proposed) strilering omi/pelone aun dha strilez, which see, in strila. [Pola.]
s’upreez* joc. variant, in mock Fr. pron., of serpreiz
swaray* n. evening party: soirée. [Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “soirée”.]
sweet adj. 1 (a) sweet; (b) good. 2 right (not left: sweet marteeni, right hand); see [in] drei, lapa. — sweet an drei. left and right (lit., right and left: varda sweet an drei). [Pola., fr. Eng. (“sweet martini” i.e., “marteeni” is an example of obfuscating meaning).]
Sweet-Doubel, yor* n. the Lord your God. — Moudhez Sweet-Doubel. [Good] Lord (when addressing God). [The expression “Moudhez Sweet-Doubel” is part Romany, part pop (i.e., “My Sweet Lord” of The Beatles).]
swet refl. v. (pp./p. t. -tid; -ting gerund/pres. part.). do weights. swetting cheetz. weights. swetting chovi. gym[nasium] (in one’s home), weights room. swetting ken. gym[nasium] (establishment). swetting omi-pelone. gay man who frequents the gymnasium & is preoccupied with his looks, esp. his muscles: Muscle-Mary. [Eng. “sweat”, by metonymy, & Pola.]
swish intr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). (a) to act in a flamboyant manner (esp. in an effeminate way): to camp it up; (b) to be demonstrative, effusive or touchy-feely°. swishing. 1 (a) affecting flamboyant and effeminate behavio[u]r or manners: flamboyant, swishing; (b) demonstrative, effusive or touchy-feely°. 2 shiny° (hair). 3 obvious°, clear°. 4 flagrant° (lie); see nellichudinosa, skreeming, in skreem. [Eng. colloquialism “swishing”, listed in Baker; Chambers lists “swish”, stylish, as well as “swishing”, the sound of fabric rustling along the ground; properly, not Pola.]
swishichude* n. campery; flamboyance; effusiveness
-t see -d
ta unstressed variant of tu (which see)
tachi* adj. 1 true. 2 honest. — Tachi? is[n’t]/was[n’t it]?, are[n’t]/were[n’t] you?, did[n’t] you?, don’t you, etc. (Tachi works in all cases, the same way as Fr. “n’est-ce pas?”: Sheez bona, tachi? It’s nice, isn’t it? Sheez rusli, tachi? She’s strong, isn’t she?). narda tachi. dishonest. [Roma. “tatcho”.]
tachichude* n. (always in sing.). 1 truth (concept of). 2 honesty (with sor tachichude, in all honesty)
tachimento* n. (always in sing.). 1 truth (instance of). 2 honesty
tangeling see in ling-tangeling lavz
tanti* adv. (a) so (tanti bona sorlo, so early; tanti dilayd, so late); (b) so much. [Corruption of It. “tanto”.]
tard/a* 1 n. (a) pull (all senses), tug; (b) draw, attraction. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). (a) to pull, to tug on, to draw, to attract (tarda enni wouniz bonimento, attract). — tarda oup. (a) pull up; (b) raise [up], build [up]; (c) bring up, educate; (d) tart up; see shlep. [Roma. “tard(ra)”; cf., It. “tratta”, pull, tug.]
tarda-cheet* n. drawer (in furniture)
tardichude* n. (always in sing.). raising, education (concept of)
tardimento* n. (always in sing.). (a) building (all senses); (b) education (instance of)
tas* n. (pl. -iz). 1 vessel (for liquids): cup (tas fa dha char, teacup; tas fa dha jarva, coffee-cup; [nix] bee wouniz tas a [dha] char, [not] be one’s cup of tea). 2 [bird’s-]nest. taseeni. 1 small cup (for espresso). 2 test-tube (loulebei-cheet a dha taseeni, test-tube baby). tasoni. vase. — fayk dha tas. [make a] nest. [Roma. “das”, “sas”, “tas”, cup or nest, conflated with Fr. “tasse”, cup.]
tati* adj. hot (tati karnish-cheet, fry[ing]-pan; tati nafellichude, fever). tatileeni. warm. — soufa [fraum] dha tati nafellichude, suffer from the fever. [Roma. “tatto”.]
taud adj. lone°. — aun wouniz/ya taud. alone (Moudhez aun a taud.). [Eng. rhyming slang “on your Tod (Sloan)”, listed in Baker.]
taudichude* n. (always in sing.). solitude
tauf adj. wealthy, rich
tauf-omi n. wealthy, esp. older, male partner: sugar-daddy. [Hybrid word: Eng. slang “toff” & Pola. “omi”.]
tauf-pelone* n. upperclass woman partial to gigolos. [Patterned on preceding.]
tauj adj. passive (tauj omi-pelone, passive partner in sex, “bottom man”). [Pola.]
taujichude* n. (always in sing.). passivity
taus* 1 n. 2 intr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to cough. — taus erbree. cough up (taus erbree dha/wouniz kirlo, clear one’s throat; taus erbree dha kousted, clear the custard). [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “tosse”.]
taush/a* 1 n. (pl. -ez). diadem. taushereeni. tiara. tausheroni. crown. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to crown. [Backformation from Pola. “tosheroon” (Baker’s spelling), with extended meaning.]
tausherune n. half-a-crown: half-crown (UK). [Pola.]
TBH = tee-bee-[h]aych
techi* adj. te[t]chy, touchy, sensitive. [Eng.]
techimento* n. te[t]chiness, touchiness, sensitivity
Teddi* 1 adj. pertaining to Germany: German. 2 n. [= Tem bilaung Teddi] Germany. — bilaung Teddi. German (dha chalz bilaung Teddi, the Germans; lingo bilaung Teddi, German; [omi-/pelone-]chal bilaung Teddi, German). Teddi-palariing. German-speaking. [Corruption of It. “tedesco”.]
tee n. letter T (tee). [Eng.]
tee-bee-[h]aych adj. 1 sexually available. 2 gay, homosexual (tee-bee-[h]aych cheim, late [in dha nauchi, at night, etc.; lit., “gay time”]). [Gay slang acronym for “To Be Had”, listed in Baker; properly, not Pola.]
teer* n. animal, beast (all senses), creature (g’uli teer, bête noire, [pet] peeve). teer a dha karsi. pet. [Germ. “Tier”.]
teip n. kind, sort, type. [Eng.]
tel* 1 n. hold (all senses). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d, held; -ling gerund/pres. part.). 1 (a) to hold (tel tu auf-kining gelt, hold to ransom); (b) to hold back: restrain (telling wouniz greiz, patience or patient). 2 to keep. — tel alay. hold down. tel erbree. hold out. tel daus. hold back. tel oup. hold up, to stick up. Tel ya greiz! Hold your horses! Be patient! Tel ya lingo! Hold your tongue! [Roma.]
tel-oup* n. hold-up, stick-up
tem* n. country, land, nation (A Noudha Tem). tem a dha dad. fatherland. tem a dha martha. motherland. tem a dha zee. homeland. Note that the names of countries are formed with Tem (e.g., Paumi Tem, which see). [Roma.; cf., It. “terra”.]
ten* n. place, spot, area. ten a dha bugerlz-omi/granermz-omi. farm. ten a dha drei-duberlz. hell. ten a dha hevvoniz for dha meyrd-kovze. graveyard, cemetery. ten a dha kovze nex bor. neighbo[u]rhood. ten a dha smelz. garden. ten a dha troyn. place of execution. ten away dha gav. the country[side]. ten fa dhee afeyrimento. the beat. ten fa dha hach. fireplace. — fayk dha ten a dha smelz. [do the] garden. fayking dha ten a dha smelz. gardening. fayking omi or pelone dha ten a dha smelz. gardener. in ten a. instead of, in place of. [Roma. “tan”, “ten”, place, tent; cf., “tem”, above.]
thu n. (pl. -ze). muscle. [Eng. “thew”.]
ti/k* 1 n. (pl. -x). licence. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.; -x 3rd pers.). to licence, to license [US] (tikt ken, licensed premises). [Truncation of cant “tick-Rome”.]
tint/a* 1 n. (pl. -ez). (a) colo[u]r, tint, hue; (b) dye. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). 1 (a) to colo[u]r, to tint; (b) to dye (tinted reir). 2 to dry-clean. tintereeni. tincture, smattering. — dha tinta auv hir ogerlz. penis size (“the colo[u]r of his eyes”). [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “tinta”.]
tip intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). 1 (a) to give°, to provide°; (b) to hand [over]°, to present°; (c) to pass° (the salt). 2 to perform oral sex: to give head. — tip dha bona ordering in tu. to welcome. tiping a dha bona ordering in. welcome, welcoming; see in brandi, eivi, jentri, velvet. [Pola., from cant.]
tipeti* adj. malicious, spiteful. tipetileeni. uppity. [Roma. “tippoty”, conflated with Eng. “uppity”.]
tipetichude* n. (always in sing.). malice, spite
tipetichudinosa* pleon. adj. malicious, spiteful
tirn, du a intr. V. phrase. to have sex; see in oysta. [Eng.; Baker derives this expression from theatrical slang, used later in nautical slang; properly, not Pola.]
-to* (-ito for words ending in a C or “a”, which is dropped) ordinal desinence equivalent to “-th” (see in ’una, dui, etc.). [Roma., as in “duito”, second, “trito”, third, etc.]
tob/a 1 adj. [pertaining to (the site of a)] (a) circus, market or fair; (b) rent°. 2 n. (pl. -ez). 1 (a) site of a circus, market or fair; (b) by extension, circus, market, fair (toba away dha gav, country fair). 2 rent°. 3 (pp./p. t. -ed; -ering gerund/pres. part.). to rent (toba a/dha lati, rent a flat; tobing omi/pelone a dha lati, renter, tenant). tobed. rented° (tobed keb’ushe, rented car: rental). — toba fa dha karnish/machoze. meat/fish market. [Pola., from Parly.]
toba-dives* n. (a) day of the fair or circus; (b) market-day
toba-homi see toba-omi
toba-koul* n. [circus] clown
toba-omi n. 1 rent collector. 2 [absent] landlord. [Parly.]
toba-shomen = (proposed) vaygeriing strilering omi or dona/pelone, which see in strila. [Hybrid word: Pola. “toba” & Eng. “showman”.]
totarlay* adj. total, complete, utter, entire. totarlaymentay. totally, completely, utterly, entirely. [Anglicised pronunciation of It. “totale”.]
touch* 1 n. (pl. -iz). touch (all senses). 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to touch. [Eng.]
toung dha brandi see tip dha brandi, in brandi
trajhee/k* 1 adj. tragic [facet.]. 2 n. (pl. -x). tragedy [facet.] (Sheez nix [a] trajheek! It’s not the end of the world!); see dres-oup. [Mock Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “tragique”.]
trauli n. (-z, always in pl.). [pair of] trousers. [Pola., perhaps from a portmanteau of “laliz” & “trole”.]
trauli-dauli n. (a) gay flight attendant; (b) by extension, hostess° or steward[ess]°. [Gay slang “trolley-dolly”, listed in Baker; properly, not Pola. It is assumed that “trolley” refers to the cart that flight attendants use in-flight, but it could refer to the preceding “trauli”, trousers; i.e., “trouser-dolly”.]
tray1 num. three. trayto. third. traytomentay. thirdly. — tray laung deja. thirty. tray laung dejito. thirtieth. tray laung lepta. thirteen. tray laung leptito. thirteenth. [Parly., from It. “tre”; cf.,., Eng. “trey”, “the three in cards and dice: a set of three: the third tine of a deer’s horn” (Chambers).]
tray*2 adv. very, extremely. [(Mock) Anglicised pronunciation of Fr. “très”.]
traydz/a* n (pl. -ez). (a) [one] third, [a/one] third (fraction: a traydza a kakeling cheet, a quarter chicken; legari dui traydzez a dha lil, read two thirds of the book); (b) third [mus.]. — traydza bilaung. third [of] (a traydza bilaung a kakeling cheet, a third of a chicken). [Corruption of It. “terzo”, patterned on Pola. “medza”.]
tray-hule* n. trident. — a [dha] tray-hulze. three-pronged. [Corruption of Roma. “trihool”, from Hind. “trisool”; cf., Indon. “trisula”, trident, three-pronged spear.]
tray-korna* n. triangle (roze tray-korna, pink triangle)
tray-saulti* n. threepence, threepenny
tray-sayma* n. threesome
traysh* 1 n. fright. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -t; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to frighten (traysh moulti, terrify; moulti trayshing, terrifying; moulti traysht, terrified). traysheeni. [little] fright. [Roma. “traish”.]
trayshichud/e* n. (pl. -ze). terror
trayshichudinistik* adj. terrorist
trayshichudinisto* n. (pl. -ze). terrorist
trayshichudinizmo* n. (always in sing.). terrorism
trayshichudinosa* adj. frightening
trejh 1 adj. darling°. 2 n. (pl. -iz). term of endearment: darling°; see in -etta. [Eng. “treas(ure)”.]
trol/e v. (pp./p. t. -de; -ing gerund/pres. part.) (a) intr. to saunter, stroll or walk (“Dheez stamperoniz ar faykt fa troling”); (b) tr. to cruise; to patrol°. — trole in. to saunter, stroll or walk in; see in bata. [Eng. “troll”, cited at some length in Baker; cf., Eng. “trawl”.]
trooshnee* n. bundle (trooshnee a kaushiz, faggot). [Roma. “trushni”, faggot.]
troumes n. (pl. -iz). 1 (a) bum (all senses); (b) buttock. 2 tramp° (all senses), hobo°, vagabond°. [Pola.]
trounde/l 1 n. (always in sing.). trundle (all senses). 2 intr./tr. v. (pp./p. t. -rld; -ing gerund/pres. part.). to trundle (troundeling foke or kove, [bus or train] passenger). troundeling cheet. 1 car [orig. joc.; better, keb’ushe (which see)]. 2 bus°. 3 [= troundeling cheet aun weelz] tram°. boura troundeling cheet. train°. [Troundeling cheet is a hybrid word: Eng. “trundle” & Pola. “cheet”.]
troundelarjhio* n. (always in sing.). transport (troundelarjhio bilaung kovze or foxe, public transport)
troyn* 1 n. 1 assassination, execution. 2 destruction. 2 tr. v. (pp./p. t. -d; -ing gerund/pres. part.). 1 to assassinate, to execute. 2 destroy. troyning omi. executioner. [Cant “Trine”, Tyburn, with V change, which, according to Chambers, was “the historic place of execution in London” (1,589). The V change is echoic of Cockney; 2nd meaning is elaborated from Roma. “nash”, lose, destroy, hang.]
trusni* adj. (a) thirsty; (b) dry (all senses: trusni kishmish, currant, raisin). — trusni oup. dry up. fayk trusni. [make] dry. [Roma. “trusno”.]
trusnichude* n. (always in sing.). (a) thirst (concept of: trusnichude fa dha faykimento a sanz parniz, drought [conditions]); (b) (i) dryness; (ii) decay. — fayk dha trusnichude. decay
trusnimento* n. (always in sing.). (a) thirst (instance of); (b) dryness
tu prep. to (used for emphasis or before VV). Note that tu used before infinitive vs that derive from It. is pleonastic. [Eng.]
tuge* 1 adj. sad (of person). 2 n. woe. [Roma. “tug”.]
tugichude* n. (always in sing.). sadness
tugichudinosa* pleon. adj. sad[dening] (situation)
tugosa* adj. woeful
tule* n. 1 fat, grease, oil (all senses). 2 schmaltz, sentimentality. [Roma. “tulo”, fat, “tulipen”, fat, grease, conflated with Eng./Fr. “tulle”.]
tulosa* adj. 1 fatty, greasy, oily. 2 (a) sentimental, schmaltzy; (b) old-fashioned, old-style. [Calqued on Yidd., from Germ. “schmalz”.]
tumouch 1 adj. excessive, superfluous°, over-the-top. 2 adv. too [much] (tumouch bona braunzetta mootzi, sunburn; tumouch in dha leif, too gay). — tumouch ta varda in dha larda. well-endowed [joc.]. [Eng. “too much”; cf., Neo-Melan. “tumas”.]
tumouchimento* n. excess, superfluity
turnayt n. (a) state; (b) position°, situation° (turnayt a dha kovze sanz lati, homelessness). [Cockney rhyming slang “two and eight”, listed in Baker.]
turring* adj. enigmatic. — turring cheet. enigmatic thing: enigma. turring omi. enigmatic man or (fem.: turring pelone) woman: enigma. (Baudelaire: Nel, turring hart-fays, h’uze ya dadi? “Say, enigma, whom do you love?”) [In homage to Alan Turing, gay cryptographer, who cracked the Nazis’ Enigma coding machine of the Second World War, & father of the computer.]