QuoteHey fantabulosa people, nice to vader your jolly old eeks in this ere thread, which is mostly in Polari.

The other day I was trolling up the tober on my todd to the bungery when I spied this remould with lovely jubes and shapely lallies. She was right zhooshy even without any slap, but she did have a nice pair of aunt nell danglers.

So I followed her into the bungery and started giving her the screech.

Just my luck it turned out she was a palone-omi and soon we were bona coves.

Ok  here is the deal - the above is a genuine piece of LGBT cultural history which has particular significance for the UK community back in the dark days when being gay was illegal.

The above post is quite innocent. Can anyone successfully translate - without cheating and resorting to google... and explain the significance of this language to those not in the know.

And then perhaps that person would like to similarly set us a little puzzle based on some lesser known aspect of LGBT history and so on.

I can translate most of it.... must be the linguist in me. I'm guessing it's in a cant based on English and romance languages.... (or maybe just Italian) that gays used to identify each other/talk to each other in back when it was illegal.

Anywhere close?

*Hey fabulous people, nice to see your faces in this tread which is mostly Polari. The other day I was walking up the road to the ?bar? when I saw this transsexual with lovely breasts and shapely legs. She was really a looker even without any make up and jewellery, but she did have a nice set of earrings. So I followed her into the bar and started to ?(chat her up/talk to her)?. Just my luck she was a lesbian and soon we were good friends.*

Very good!

Top of the class on the translation, but can you explain what Polari is and why it is significant to the history of those of us in the UK at least?

Also my idea was that we might start a little quiz running with anyone who wanted to posing a new question about lesser known aspect of LGBT hisory.

Even following Pixie's translation I couldn't follow it. Well done Pixie

Polari; Polaris missiles? 
Polari: has a suggestion of greek, possibly twins, poles apart different ends of the spectrum? NBI

Cindy

Thanks Jenny glad to see you are keeping the cultural heritage going

Actually upon re-reading Pixiegirl's answer I see she had it right. Somhow I missed her succinct explanation in the first para.

Polari was indeed a secret language used by UK homosexuals back when they risked arrest and persecution. By slipping a few words into their everyday speech they could identify themselves to others without too much risk that someone not in the know would be any the wiser.

This use of a language to enable a group under persecution by the law to survive is not an uncommon phenomenon.

Ok can anyone else think of any other aspect of our cultural history that might form the basis of the next question... if not I may have to rack my brains and see if I can come up with something.

Well makes my response really intelligent. Where is the hat with D on it. Mmm how do you spell D?

Never knew, does the practice continue?


Cindy

No I think you are wrong,

Isn't it a sort of ham that is sliced very thinly.

I can think of two (our three) examples

Cindy

Quote from: CindyJames on January 04, 2011, 04:32:05 AM
No I think you are wrong,

Isn't it a sort of ham that is sliced very thinly.

I can think of two (our three) examples

Cindy

ROFLMAO!

I think that's Parma ham, you it confused with!

Oh and to answer your original question about whether the practice still goes on, it does, but only for a bit of fun these days, as there is no legal threat.

However other groups have had similar secret languages, from time in memorial, which form the pillars of their ability to recognise each other like for example one of our better known so called secret societies, one of whom might very well ask you something like "Can you tie a bow?" to which there is also a very specific answer which, for obvious reasons, I will not reveal.

Such languages are out there and widespread. Drug users also have a similar form of speech that only they would follow.

Inevitably such languages are also quite fun to crack. I am not a drug user, nor am I a member of any secret society, and yet, the writer in me has studied their languages and can, to some extent, replicate it and follow it.

Now can anyone give us our next question? Or shall we start discussing dry cured ham instead? 

I was sort of keeping the the post alive because I think it was fun. I knew the talk, but I don't walk the walk, or maybe I do? I realise for marines this is obvious, but  for the young girls?

Feeling Good.

Will phone in 5-10, just like a chat.

Hugs

Cindy

This one snuck by me before I could respond.  The sentence was easy enough to infer.  At first I thought it was somewhat like Cockney, which love to hear, but cannot keep up with.

I'm afraid I don't have anything from the dark days of the LGBT movement, since I am somewhat newly minted myself.

But if you think about it every society has had it's own twist on the language.  Just listen to some geekspeak sometime. To the uninitiated, their eyes will glaze over pretty quickly.

I do love these quizzes, Jenny, please you, or anyone, keep going!

-Sandy

OK here is a nice easy one:

Who was the first fully successful MtF to undergo SRS?

I discount Lili Elbe in 1930 because she died shortly afterwards.

So who was the first one to undergo a primitive form of the operation that we all have?

HINT - She wasn't Danish or American, despite what the history books may tell you - she was British, and already quite famous at that, although not for being trans but for being a competitor in a popular sport.

She was also operated on several years before that other girl that you are probably all thinking of...

Who was she? (and no googling - if no one gets it right by tomorrow night I will reveal all and post the next question).

Yaay me   Wasn't actually that hard to get it tbh, there are several words in there that are standard English slang or well known cockney and a couple that are obviously nicked whole from Italian... just a case of working the rest out. As for what it was... logik

Will have to think of something to pose as a question *ponders*

Roberta Cowell, on May 15, 1951 by Dr. Harold Gillies.

Everyone should be familiar with the Stonewall riot.  Name one of the two organizations that came out of that riot.