{"product_id":"fabulosa-the-story-of-polari-britains-secret-gay-language-9781789142945","title":"Fabulosa!: The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language","description":"\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e Book of the Year\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Richly evocative and entertaining.\"--\u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"An essential book for anyone who wants to Polari bona \"--\u003ci\u003eAttitude\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Exuberant, richly detailed. . . . A delightful read.\"--\u003ci\u003eTatler\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Polari is a language that was used chiefly by gay men in the first half of the twentieth century. It offered its speakers a degree of public camouflage and a means of identification. Its colorful roots are varied--from Cant to Lingua Franca to dancers' slang--and in the mid-1960s it was thrust into the limelight by the characters Julian and Sandy, voiced by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams, on the BBC radio show \u003ci\u003eRound the Horne\u003c\/i\u003e (\"Oh hello Mr Horne, how bona to vada your dolly old eek \"). Paul Baker recounts the story of Polari with skill, humor, and tenderness. He traces its historical origins and describes its linguistic nuts and bolts, explores the ways and the environments in which it was spoken, explains the reasons for its decline, and tells of its unlikely reemergence in the twenty-first century. With a cast of drag queens and sailors, Dilly boys and macho clones, \u003ci\u003eFabulosa  \u003c\/i\u003eis an essential document of recent history--a fascinating and fantastically readable account of this funny, filthy, and ingenious language.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-12319492\"\u003ePaul Baker\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Reaktion Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/02\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.75lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.70h x 5.00w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781789142945\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1789142946\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-LAN\"\u003eLanguage Arts \u0026amp; Disciplines\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-LAN000000\"\u003eGeneral\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-HIS\"\u003eHistory\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-HIS054000\"\u003eSocial History\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-SOC\"\u003eSocial Science\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-SOC012000\"\u003eLGBTQ+ Studies | Gay Studies\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePaul Baker \u003c\/b\u003eis professor of English language at Lancaster University. His books include \u003ci\u003eAmerican and British English\u003c\/i\u003e and, with Jo Stanley, \u003ci\u003eHello Sailor!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Reaktion Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42682109133037,"sku":"9781789142945","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/8097\/6621\/products\/img_e0c8d949-1e3e-4722-961a-39fb3273d47d.jpg?v=1649715929","url":"https:\/\/sureshotbooks.com\/products\/fabulosa-the-story-of-polari-britains-secret-gay-language-9781789142945","provider":"SureShot Books Publishing LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}