Polari: so so[1]
Camp[2] parley
Troll,[3] ogles,[3a] cove[3b]
I try at rhyming the sounds
A maddening task that rebounds
I find crimper, palone[4]. . .not too many long O words
It puts such demands on the mind
I’m aggrieved by confusion
Thus nishta[5] effusion you’ll find
Nutty words such as metzas[6]
May drive me to veras [7] till blind

Polari, oh-oh!
Hey, can’t find me no mo’ long O
Got hoofer[8] and kaffies[8a]—the things
That keep the cartso[9] from swings
OK, so there’s cartso, with a long O; also there’s bold[10]
Look, there’s alamo[11], which don’t mean the Texas fort of old
You’d think a lingua franca based on Italiano
Would have users who’d have taken greater pains to leave intact the damn O

Polari, go, go!
Want no barney[12], no, no, no, no!
Up high on the stimps[13] are thews[13a]
Do you, like me, like great big jubes?[14]
I also like it when the riah[15] isn’t a shyker[16] or switch[16a]
But has got a great big zhoosh[17]
Love lallies,[18] lallie tappers,[18a] and luppers[18b]
Would love to get martinis[19] on a big caboose
But since I don’t have bonaroo[20] luck
I’ll probably get nanti[21]

Polari, no, no!
So, buvare[22], Rhône, Rhône, Rhône, Rhône
No wonder my happy heart sings
I’ve wandered from Polari-ings
Nell,[23] blue,[23a] dish,[23b] bibi,[23c] bijou[23d]
Bungery[24], I’ll go for a brew



[1]homosexual
[2]effeminate
[3] to walk about looking for trade
[3a]eyes
[3b]friend
[4]woman
[5]nothing
[6]money
[7]gins
[8]dancer
[8a]trousers
[9]penis
[10]daring
[11]hot for someone
[12]fight
[13]legs
[13a]thighs
[14]breasts
[15]hair
[16], [16a] wig
[17]style hair/mince
[18]legs
[18a]feet
[18b]fingers
[19]hands
[20]wonderful/excellent
[21]not/no/none
[22]a drink
[23]listen/hear
[23a]homosexual
[23b]butt
[23c]bisexual
[23d]small/little
[24]pub