Editing Polari (section)

==Usage==
From the 19th century on, Polari was used in London fish markets, theatres, fairgrounds, and circuses, hence the many borrowings from [[Romani language|Romani]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=It's not unusual : a history of lesbian and gay Britain in the twentieth century|author=Jivani, Alkarim|isbn=0253333482|location=Bloomington|oclc=37115577|date = January 1997}}</ref> As many homosexual men worked in theatrical entertainment, it was also used among the gay subculture to disguise homosexuals from hostile outsiders and [[undercover police]]men. It was also used extensively in the British [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|Merchant Navy]], where many gay men worked as waiters, stewards, and entertainers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/visit/floor-plan/life-at-sea/gaylife/ |title=Gay men in the Merchant Marine |publisher=[[Liverpool Maritime Museum]] |access-date=9 May 2018 }}</ref>

Although [[William Shakespeare]] used the term ''bona'' (good, attractive) in ''[[Henry IV, Part 2]]'' as part of the expression ''bona roba'' (a woman wearing an attractive outfit),<ref name=guardian>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/dec/10/life1.lifemagazine3 |author=Beverley D'Silva |work=[[The Observer]] |title=Mind your language |date=10 December 2000 |access-date=9 May 2018 }}</ref> "little written evidence of Polari before the 1890s" exists according to ''Oxford English Dictionary'' associate editor [[Peter Gilliver]]. The dictionary's entry for ''rozzer'' (policeman) includes a quote from P. H. Emerson's 1893 book ''Signor Lippo – Burnt Cork Artiste'':<ref>{{cite web|url=https://word-ancestry.livejournal.com/71450.html#/71450.html|title=Historical Origins of English Words and Phrases|website=[[Live Journal]]|date=24 October 2008|access-date=9 May 2018}}</ref> "If the rozzers was to see him in bona clobber they'd take him for a gun" ("If the police were to see him dressed in this fine manner, they would know that he is a thief").<ref name=guardian/>

The almost identical ''Parlyaree'' has been spoken in fairgrounds since at least the 17th century<ref>Partridge, Eric (1937) ''Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English''</ref> and is still used by show travellers in England and Scotland. As theatrical booths, circus acts, and menageries were once common parts of European fairs, it is likely that the roots of Polari/Parlyaree lie in the period before both theatre and circus became independent of fairgrounds. The Parlyaree spoken on fairgrounds tends to borrow much more from Romani, as well as other languages and cants spoken by travelling people, such as thieves' cant and [[back slang]].

[[Henry Mayhew]] gave an account of Polari as part of an interview with a [[Punch and Judy]] showman in the 1850s. The discussion he recorded references Punch's arrival in England, crediting these early shows to an Italian performer called Porcini ([[John Payne Collier]]'s account calls him Porchini, a literal rendering of the Italian pronunciation).<ref>''Punch and Judy''. [[John Payne Collier]]; with Illustrations by [[George Cruikshank]]. London: Thomas Hailes Lacey, 1859.</ref> Mayhew provides the following:
{{blockquote|
''Punch Talk''<br/>
"{{lang|pld|Bona Parle}}" means language; name of patter. "{{lang|pld|Yeute munjare}}" – no food. "{{lang|pld|Yeute lente}}" – no bed. "{{lang|pld|Yeute bivare}}" – no drink. I've "{{lang|pld|yeute munjare}}", and "{{lang|pld|yeute bivare}}", and, what's worse, "{{lang|pld|yeute lente}}". This is better than the costers' talk, because that ain't no slang and all, and this is a broken Italian, and much higher than the costers' lingo. We know what o'clock it is, besides.<ref name="Mayhew"/>}}
There are additional accounts of particular words that relate to puppet performance: "'{{lang|pld|Slumarys}}' – figures, frame, scenes, properties. '{{lang|pld|Slum}}' – call, or unknown tongue"<ref name="Mayhew"/> ("unknown" is a reference to the "[[swazzle]]", a voice modifier used by Punch performers).

===Decline===
Polari had begun to fall into disuse among the gay subculture by the late 1960s. The popularity of the BBC radio comedy ''[[Round the Horne]]'', with its [[Camp (style)|camp]] gay characters [[Julian and Sandy]], ensured that some of the Polari terms they used became public knowledge.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jan/17/gayrights.comment |title= Polari, the gay slang, is being revived |first=Colin |last=Richardson |date=17 January 2005 |newspaper=The Guardian |location= London |access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref> The need for a secret means of communication in the subculture also declined with the partial decriminalisation of adult homosexual acts in England and Wales under the [[Sexual Offences Act 1967]]; in the 1970s, the [[gay liberation]] movement began to view Polari as old-fashioned and perpetuating harmful camp stereotypes.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Baker |first=Paul |date=22 March 2019 |title=What's Polari? |url=https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/fabulosa/whats-polari/ |access-date=11 April 2024 |website=Fabulosa! The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language |publisher=[[Lancaster University]]}}</ref>

===Mainstream usage===
[[File:Bona Togs shop Jersey.jpg|thumb|''Bona Togs'', a [[St Helier]] shop named in Polari]]
A number of words from Polari have entered mainstream slang. The list below includes words in general use with the meanings listed: ''acdc'', ''barney'', ''blag'', ''butch'', ''camp'', ''khazi'', ''cottaging'', ''hoofer'', ''mince'', ''ogle'', ''scarper'', ''slap'', ''strides'', ''tod'', ''[rough] trade''.

The Polari word ''{{lang|pld|naff}}'', meaning inferior or tacky, has an uncertain etymology. [[Michael Quinion]] says it is probably from the 16th-century Italian word ''{{lang|it|gnaffa}}'', meaning "a despicable person".<ref name="quinaff">{{cite web |url= http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-naf1.htm |title=Naff |last=Quinion |first=Michael |work=[[World Wide Words]] |access-date=10 January 2010}}</ref> There are a number of [[False etymology|false etymologies]], many based on [[backronym]]s—"Not Available For Fucking", "Normal As Fuck", etc. The phrase "naff off" was used [[euphemistically]] in place of "fuck off" along with the [[intensifier]] "naffing" in [[Keith Waterhouse]]'s ''[[Billy Liar]]'' (1959).<ref name=billy1>{{cite book |last=Waterhouse |first=Keith |title=Billy Liar |publisher=[[Michael Joseph (publisher)|Michael Joseph]] |year=1959 |pages=35, 46 |isbn=0-7181-1155-9}}
''p35'' "Naff off, Stamp, for Christ sake!"&nbsp;''p46'' "Well which one of them's got the naffing engagement ring?"</ref> Usage of "naff" increased in the 1970s when the [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[Porridge (1974 TV series)|Porridge]]'' employed it as an alternative to expletives which were not broadcastable at the time.<ref name=quinaff/> [[Anne, Princess Royal|Princess Anne]] allegedly told a reporter to "naff off" at the Badminton horse trials in April 1982,<ref>''The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English'' Dalzell and Victor (eds.) Routledge, 2006, Vol. II p. 1349.</ref> however, the photographers who were present have since stated that this was a censored version of what she actually said.<ref>{{cite news |title=Princess never said 'naff off' -- 'We made it up' |url= https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1175396/princess-anne-royal-news-princess-royal-family-latest-update-press-naff-off-spt |work=Daily Express |location= London |date=8 September 2019 |first=Abbie |last=Llewelyn |access-date=28 January 2022}}</ref>

"{{lang|pld|Zhoosh}}" ({{IPAc-en|ʒ|ʊ|ʃ|,_|ʒ|uː|ʃ}};<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/zhoosh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911183034/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/zhoosh|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 September 2017|title=Definition for zhoosh – Oxford Dictionaries Online (World English) |website=Oxforddictionaries.com|access-date=9 May 2018}}</ref> alternatively spelled "{{lang|pld|zhuzh}}," "{{lang|pld|jeuje}}," and a number of other variety spellings<ref name="Phelan">{{Cite web |last=Phelan |first=Hayley |date=31 January 2022 |title='Jeuje,' 'Zhoosh,' 'Zhuzh': A Word of Many Spellings, and Meanings |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/31/style/jeuje-zhoosh-zhuzh.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013223912/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/31/style/jeuje-zhoosh-zhuzh.html |archive-date=13 October 2023 |access-date=12 January 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>), meaning to smarten up, style or improve something, became commonplace in the mid-2000s, having been used in the 2003 United States TV series ''[[Queer Eye for the Straight Guy]]'' and ''[[What Not to Wear (American TV series)|What Not to Wear]]''.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} "{{lang|pld|Jush}}", an alternative spelling of the word, was popularised by drag queen [[Jasmine Masters]] after her appearance on the [[RuPaul's Drag Race (season 7)|seventh series]] of [[RuPaul's Drag Race]] in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://youtube.com/watch?v=39BWUUE72Sg&feature=share |title=Jasmine Masters the meaning of jush |date=7 April 2017 |via=YouTube|access-date=26 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title='Drag Race' Queen Jasmine Masters Explains What 'Jush' Means: Watch|url= https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/jasmine-masters-drag-race-queen-jush-video-8458987/|magazine=Billboard |date=4 June 2018 |first=Rebecca |last=Schiller |access-date=26 November 2022}}</ref>

===Legacy and revival ===
Since the late 20th and early 21st century, there has been a renewed interest in Polari, especially as a part of LGBTQ+ heritage.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=23 January 2020 |title=The Revival of Polari, the U.K.'s Secret Queer Language |url= https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/polari-uk-queer-language |access-date=12 October 2024 |website=MEL Magazine }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=25 September 2018 |title=The new book written in Polari, a secret language for queer survival |url= https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/41316/1/cruising-for-lavs-polari-the-secret-language-for-queer-survival |access-date=12 October 2024 |website=Dazed }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Baker |first=Paul |date=28 February 2013 |title=Polari: the lost-and-found language of gay men (PDF) |url= https://babelzine.co.uk/ArticlePDFs/No2%20Article%20-%20Polari.pdf |access-date=12 October 2024 |website=Babel: The Language Magazine}}</ref> [[Gay's the Word (bookshop)|Gay's the Word]] has held workshops in Polari, the [[Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence]] have translated the Bible into Polari,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Babbel.com |last2=GmbH |first2=Lesson Nine |title=Rediscovering Polari: What Is Polari And Why Did It Die Out? |url=https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/what-is-polari |access-date=12 October 2024 |website=Babbel Magazine }}</ref> and Madame Jo Jo's nightclub in Soho taught its staff to speak Polari.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 December 2004 |title='Fabulosa' lingo revived at club |work=BBC News |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4071811.stm |access-date=12 October 2024 }}</ref> 

Linguist [[Paul Baker (linguist)|Paul Baker]] attributes increased interest in Polari primarily to the growing body of academic work on the subject.<ref name=":3"/><ref name=":1"/> Author George Reiner explains that "the revival of a language like Polari offers the possibility of an alternate queer linguistic space" at a time when closing LGBTQ+ venues and dating apps have reduced queer social spaces.<ref name=":1"/>

In 2007, writer and activist [[Paul Burston]] launched Polari Literary Salon in London to platform LGBTQ+ writers. He launched the [[Polari Prize|Polari First Book Prize]] in 2011. This was followed by the Polari Prize for LGBTQ+ writers at all stages of their career in 2019 and the Polari Children's & YA Prize in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Polari Prize 2024 |url= https://www.polarisalon.com/copy-of-polari-prize-2024 |access-date=21 June 2024 |website=polarisalon }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Paul Burston: The Polari Prize and beyond |url= https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/writing-hub/paul-burston-the-polari-prize-and-beyond/ |access-date=21 June 2024 |website=National Centre for Writing }}</ref> Other organisations have also taken names inspired by Polari, such as ''Polari Magazine'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Polari Magazine |work= Polari Magazine |url= http://www.polarimagazine.com/about-polari-magazine/ |access-date=12 October 2024 }}</ref> ''Vada Magazine'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Forward |first=Stuart |date=27 November 2012 |title=Meet the Team |url= https://vadamagazine.com/meet-the-team |access-date=12 October 2024 }}</ref> and VADA LGBTQ Community Theatre Company.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VADA History |url= https://vadatheatre.weebly.com/vada-history.html |access-date=12 October 2024 |website=Vada: LGBTQ Community Theatre }}</ref> 

In 2012 and 2013, Manchester artists Jez Dolan and Joe Richardson presented a performance-based tour and exhibition titled ''Polari Mission'', which explored LGBTQ+ history and language use in the UK. This was presented at [[John Rylands Research Institute and Library|The John Rylands Library]] and [[Contact Theatre]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Polari Mission exhibit |url= http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/exhibitions/polarimission/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131202222545/http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/exhibitions/polarimission/ |archive-date=2 December 2013 |website=John Rylands Library}}</ref> In 2015, Dolan also translated sections of the 1957 [[Wolfenden report|Wolfenden Report]] into Polari for a commission from the UK Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web |last=James |first=Louise |date=31 January 2022 |title=In Focus: LGBT+ History Month: Jez Dolan's 'Wolfenden' |url=https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/lgbt-history-month-jez-dolans-wolfenden/ |access-date=21 June 2024 |website=House of Lords Library}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wolfenden by Jez Dolan |url=http://parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/relationships/collections1/sexual-offences-act-1967/wolfenden-by-jez-dola |access-date=21 June 2024 |website=UK Parliament}}</ref> Dolan and Richardson also worked with Paul Baker to produce a 500-word dictionary of Polari as an app.<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 August 2012 |title=Secret gay language Polari gets an 'appy return |url= https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/secret-gay-language-polari-gets-692422 |access-date=12 October 2024 |website= Manchester Evening News }}</ref> 

In December 2016, to launch LGBT+ History Month 2017 and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the [[Sexual Offences Act 1967|1967 Sexual Offences Act]], poet [[Adam Lowe (writer)|Adam Lowe]] performed his Polari poem "Vada That" in Parliament's [[Speaker's House]] with accompaniment by musician Nikki Franklin.<ref>{{Cite web  |date=1 December 2016 |title=Parliament's Speaker's Chamber Goes Rainbow to Launch LGBT History Month 2017 |url= https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/2016/12/parliaments-speakers-chamber-goes-rainbow-to-launch-lgbt-history-month-2017/ |access-date=21 June 2024 |website=LGBT+ History Month }}</ref> In 2017, a service at [[Westcott House, Cambridge]] was conducted in Polari. Trainee priests held the service to commemorate [[LGBT History Month]]; following media attention, [[Chris Chivers]], the principal, expressed his regret.<ref>{{cite news |date=4 February 2017 |title=Church 'regret' as trainees hold service in gay slang |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38863545 |access-date=4 February 2017 |website=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sherwood |first=Harriet |date=3 February 2017 |title=C of E college apologises for students' attempt to 'queer evening prayer' |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/03/church-of-england-college-apologises-students-queer-evening-prayer |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Flood |first=Rebecca |date=4 February 2017 |title=Church expresses 'huge regret' after Cambridge LGBT commemoration service held in gay slang language |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/church-of-england-gay-slang-language-service-regret-lgbt-commemoration-regret-polari-westcott-house-a7562561.html |access-date=9 May 2018 |work=The Independent |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Robb |first=Simon |date=4 February 2017 |title=Priests delivered a service in gay slang and the church weren't happy |url= http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/04/priests-delivered-a-service-in-hilarious-gay-slang-but-the-church-werent-happy-6426464/ |access-date=9 May 2018 |work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]] |location=London}}</ref>

In 2019, [[Reaktion Books]] published Paul Baker's third book on Polari, ''Fabulosa!: The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Baker |first=Paul |title=Fabulosa!: The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language |publisher=Reaktion Books |year=2019 |isbn=9781789142945 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fabulosa! by Paul Baker from Reaktion Books |url= http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781789141320 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200930103229/http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781789141320 |archive-date=30 September 2020 |access-date=5 August 2020 |website=reaktionbooks.co.uk}}</ref> His first two books on the subject (''Polari: Fantabulosa: A Dictionary of Polari and Gay Slang'' and ''Polari: The Lost Language of Gay Men'') were published in 2002 and 2003, respectively.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baker |first=Paul |title=Fantabulosa: A Dictionary of Polari and Gay Slang |url= https://archive.org/details/fantabulosadicti0000bake |website=Internet Archive|date=2004 |isbn=978-0-8264-7343-1 }}</ref>