50 years after partial decriminalisation: Are you bona enough for our Polari quiz?
Before the partial decriminalisation of gay sex with the Sexual Offences Act in 1967, many gay men in the UK used a secret language called Polari.
Polari is a form of Cant slang that gay men developed to avoid having their sexuality discovered by homophobes or the police.
It was further popularised on comedy show Round the Horne, when used by Julian and Sandy – characters played by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams.
But the Polari code slowly fell out of favour after the legalisation of gay sex acts in England and Wales in 1967 – and while slang words like ‘naff’ and ‘barney’ are still around, many people are unaware it every existed.
How much Polari do you think you can recognise? Take our quiz below. (This might take a minute to load)
