Fabulosa
Book •
Paul Baker's 'Fabulosa' examines the history, vocabulary, and social role of Polari, the gay cant used in 20th-century Britain.
Combining linguistic analysis with cultural history, the book traces Polari's roots, borrowings, and functions as a protective and performative language.
Baker includes examples, translations, and discussion of Polari's decline and partial resurgence in contemporary culture.
The work highlights how Polari served both as a survival tool under criminalization and as an expression of queer identity.
It is an important resource for scholars of sociolinguistics, queer studies, and popular language.
Combining linguistic analysis with cultural history, the book traces Polari's roots, borrowings, and functions as a protective and performative language.
Baker includes examples, translations, and discussion of Polari's decline and partial resurgence in contemporary culture.
The work highlights how Polari served both as a survival tool under criminalization and as an expression of queer identity.
It is an important resource for scholars of sociolinguistics, queer studies, and popular language.
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Rob Watts
Vulgar language and criminal slang
