ENGLISH–POLARI
DICTIONARY
(J–L)
jabber.
shauka kakel or pelarva. fayk dha
shauka kakel or pelarva
jail see imprison, prison
jail-bait. feeli-[h]omi or feeli-pelone
January.
jargon. lingo
jemmy. betti
jerk. kwaung
Jew. Kosha-[h]omi/pelone[-chal]
jewel. beejhu, groyn
jeweller. fayking omi/pelone a dha
beejhuze/groynz
jewellery. groynarjhio. jewellery box. mooftereeni fa dha
groynarjhio. jewellery maker. fayking omi/pelone a dha
beejhuze/groynz
Jewish. Kosha. Jewish religion. Kosha rashi
jimmy = jemmy
jissom. ordering marreer
job. b’ute
jobless. sanz [enni] b’ute
jocose. jaugerosa
john. steema
joint. joynto. dubi; joynto; nodo
joke. skirtz
joker. skirtz-omi
joss-house.
keyr a/fa dha jaus chalz
jostle. bati-brays
journey. vaygeri
Judaism. Kosha rashi
judge. beek
judgement. beekimento
jug. gayj
juice. akwa
juicy. akwerosa; charlibelay
jukebox.
vakarya
July. Ulo
jump.
dash-oup. [jump up] dash oup
jumper. joumpa
June. Juno
junk. k’uta
just. jous. Just a minute or moment! ’Una momento!
justice.
beek; beekichude. justice of the peace. kouzen a dha parchay
jute.
gouni
karat see carat
keep.
tel. keep to oneself. ayjh tu wouni self. keep up. ayjh oup
kerosene, kerosine. binko. binko-worta. kerosine
flare. binko
kettle. kekarvi; see tea-kettle
key.
gilting cheet
keyhole.
hevveeni fa dha gilting cheet
kick.
bati-lali
kid. chavi; loulebei kapra.
koul. Are you kidding? Ann nanti or no moge? No kidding! Ann
nanti or no moge! You’re kidding [me]! Ann nanti moge?
kill.
krash. killing. krashing
killer. krashing omi or pelone
kind. ben, bennichudinosa, dali.
teip
kindness. bennimento, bennichude
king. kween. king’s ransom, kweenz auf-kining gelt
kiosk. boteekeeni
kiss.
lamor. lamor. Kiss my arse/ass! Lamor ya moudhez kauribounjes!
kitchen.
karnishing chovi
kitsch. naf
kitty. (kitty-cat)
beejhurreeni gatoleeni
knee.
jin. bati-jin. knee someone in the groin. bati-jin enni wouni in dha
kaudz. on one’s knees. aun dha jinz
kneecap.
nab a dha jin
knife. chin-cheet, eefink. knife and fork. dui-eefink
knit.
skivi. do the knitting. fayk dha skiviing
knitting-needle.
skivi-cheet
knock. baterileeni. bateri; fayk
dhee arris-pandora kauntra. knock at the
door. baterii att dha geiga. knock down. bateri, firikaduza. knock out. firikaduza erbree. knock over. bateri ova
knock-down blow. firikaduza
knock-kneed.
keoteo
knock-out.
firikaduza-erbree
knot. nodo
know. savi. know right from
wrong. savi bonichude fraum kirtirvichude. know that someone is homosexual. get wouniz noumba. know what someone is up to. get wouniz
noumba
know-how.
savi
knowledge.
savi, savimento, savichude
knowledgeable.
savi, savichudinosa
knuckle.
nodo a dha poke
knuckleduster.
Merriken-poke
K.O. = knock-out
kosher. kosha
kowtow. fayk dha keoteo
labo[u]r. akting, (labo[u]rs) aktz/ax, dha b’ute. fayk dha
b’ute
labo[u]rer. fayking omi/pelone a dha
b’ute
lace. peek
lachrymal.
parni
lack.
mankimento. mank. lacking in. mankimentoing in. a lack of. a
mankimento a
lady. beebee, laydi, pelone. Ladies and Gentlemen! Flatiz an Giliz!
ladybird, ladybug. laydiz rusli-pisha
lady-like.
laydi-leik
lamb. loulebei bleeting cheet
lame. lang
lamp[light]. glima
land. pauv; tem
landlady. dona or pelone a
dha lati
landlord. omi [a dha karsi or lati], toba-[h]omi
language. lingo
lantern. moomli-glima
large. graunday. largely. graundaymentay. large boat.
barkiing cheetoni, lati aun worta. large dog. jugeloni. large fortune. hambagoni. large hole or opening. hevvoni. large penis. bagajeroni,
kartz[ol]oni. large thing. cheetoni
lascivious. lechichudinosa
last. lars. last night.
lars nauchi
late. dilayd, tee-bee-[h]aych cheim. late at night. tee-bee-[h]aych cheim in
dha nauchi. late every night.
tee-bee-[h]aych cheim in evri nauchi
lateness. dilay
later. arfta
latest. aultimo. the latest. dhee aultimo
laugh. sal
laughter. saling
launderette = laundrette
laundress.
dobi-dona
laundrette.
ken fa dha dobi
Laundromat®
see laundrette
laundry.
dha dobi; lach fa dha dobi
lavatory. brandi-lach, brandiing
lach. lavatory paper. bimf
law. lili
lawful. liliosa
lawman.
lili-[h]omi
lawyer. lili-[h]omi or -pelone
layabout. lucha
leaf. paten
leak. lag. take a leak. lag a lag
leap.
dash-oup. [leap up] dash oup
learn.
fayk dha b’ute a dha nab. learning. [fayking] dha b’ute a dha nab
learner. fayking
omi a dha b’ute a dha nab
least.
pogeearst. at [the] least. att dha pogeearst
leather.
cham. leather pants. cham kafiz
leave. orda, ordeli; vaygeri;
mayk. leaves. paternz. leave quickly. dash [auf]. leave without paying. skarpa dha jetti.
Leave it [alone]! Nanti dhat! Leave me alone! Mayk ya moudha aun hir
taud!
lech. lech-omi or -pelone
lecherous. lechichudinosa
lechery. lechichude
leek. pourem
left. drei. [there] on the left. ayjaz aun dha drei. see leave
left-hand. drei-lapa
left-handed. with dha drei lapa
leg. gam, lali; skauch. leg of lamb. gam karnish a dha
[loulebei] bleeting cheet. shaved leg.
stimp. a bit of leg. gam
legal. lili; liliosa. young man under the age of legal consent. feeli-[h]omi. young woman under the age of legal consent. feeli-pelone.
legitimate. kosha
lemonade. Merriken-akwa
lesbian. letti, pelone-omi
lesbianism. lettichude,
pelone-omichude
less. pogeear; [-less] sanz
let. mayk. Let it be. Mayk hir bee. let
up. mayk oup. let us/let’s. mayk
ya moudhez
letter. bilidu, rooka. letter of the alphabet. rooka a dha
runze
letter-box. mooftereeni fa dha biliduze or rookez
letter-writer. skreeving omi or pelone a dha rookez
lexicon. lil a dha lavz
liar. moging omi or
pelone
liberty. liberichude
libidinous. lechichudinosa
library. keyr a/fa dha lilz
lice. chintziz
licence. tik
lick. leo dha ling aun
lie. moge. lying.
moging. lie down. letti alay. lie to. moge tu
life. leif. lives. leifs or leivz. Not on your life! Ann u wish!
light. glima. light a cigarette/light up. voge. light a fire. hach
lightning. meloni
like. leik. kamis. like that. leik dhat
-like. -leik
likely.
leik. leikimentay
likewise. aseo
limo[usine].
sheesh-keb’ushe
limp.
dikt
lingo. lingo
linguist. lavz-omi or -dona
lip. gan. lip ring. gan-fayk. My lips
are sealed! Ya moudhez ganz ar sived!
lipstick. rang
a dha gan
liquid.
worta
liquor. bevvi, didel
list.
listo
listen. (listen to)
nelliarda. listening audience.
nelliardering flatiz
an giliz. Listen! Arnt nel! Nel[li]!
lit. glimed
little. beejhu, betti, -eeni;
pogee. little bird. chikeleeni. little
boat. barkiing cheeteeni. little
devil. lucha. little dog. jugeleeni. little nose.
eesaungeeni. little penis. bagajereeni, kartzeeni. a little bit. pogeeleeni. a
little bit or piece of. a
pogeeleeni a. a little more [than].
a pogee moultiar [dhan]. little by little. a pogee a pogee
live. ninti. live on. fayk dha ninti aun
livelihood. ninti
liver. booka[-karnish]. liver complaint. nafellimento a dha
booka
living. ninti
loathe. odiari t’umouch. loathing. tray or t’umouch odiari
loathesome. aykelosa, [tray or t’umouch] odiaribelay or odiariing
lock. gilt
lodge. fix. lodgings.
lati, lettiz. lodge at. lati shay. lodge a complaint. leo dha barni
lodger. lettiz-omi
London. bilaung Ein. Ein
Londoner. [omi-/pelone-]chal bilaung
Ein
lone.
taud
long. laung. a long time. a laung cheim. not long. narda laung cheim. Long live …! Aveeva …!
long-standing. baj
long-term. dauli-daumestik-leik. long-term companion. dauli-domestik. long-term relationship. baj afeyrimento
long-time see long-term
loo.
brandi-lach, brandiing lach
look. dikimento. varda; dik. look after. dorkes for. look as though. dik leik. look at. varda. look down. varda alay. look
down [one’s nose] at. varda alay wouniz vaunka att. look
for. charpa.
look forward to. ogel forwed tu. look like. dik leik. look over.
varda oup. look longingly at. ogel. look one’s best. bee jhoojhd oup. look good. dik bona. look well. dik peersi. not much to
look at. narda ta varda in dha larda. take
a good look at. varda bona. Look
out! Gardilu!
looker.
shamsha
loot.
jentz
lord.
boura-rei. Lord. Sweet-Doubel. the Lord your
God. yor Sweet-Doubel
lose.
nash
loss. nash
lost.
nasht
lot, a. a deorri, moulti. a lot of. moulti. lots of. a deorri a
loud. hei in dha vauchi,
skreeming
lounge.
jaugering chovi
lounge-room.
jaugering chovi
louse.
chintz
lousy.
chintzosa
love.
kamis. in love. in kamis. whom do you love? h’uze ya dadi?
love-feast.
mounjariarjhio a dha bitaynichude
love-letter. bilidu
lover. houzben,
kamising omi or pelone, rome
low. lo. the Low Countries.
dha Lo Temz
lower. loar
lowermost. loarst
lowest. loarst
low-profile. lo-eekaf
lube see lubricant, lubricate. lube up. leo
[startez] aun dha dish
lubricant.
startez
lubricate the anus.
leo aun dha brandi/dish
luck.
dooka
lullaby.
gili fa dha lettiing
lunch.
namyari
lure. dooka-cheet. leo a
dooka-cheet aun
lush. bevvi; bevvi-[h]omi or
-pelone
lust. lechichude
lustful. lechichudinosa
-ly. -(i)mentay
lying see in lie