![]() Costermongers were looked down upon for their brash behavior, love of gambling, and unusual slang. This group also included costermongers, street vendors who sold fruit and vegetables in British towns. Polari (from Italian parlare ‘to talk’) was used by some actors, circus and fairground showmen, professional wrestlers, merchant navy sailors, criminals, sex workers, and the gay subculture. The slang was born out of the West and East Ends of London in the 19th century (but could date back as far as the 16th century) and was used by social outcasts and outsiders. ![]() ![]() Language experts believe that the insult “fruit” has roots in the British cant, or secret language, Polari as a slang word. ![]() This goes to the question of how did “fruit” become a slur for a gay man? What does “fruity” mean for the LGBTQ+ community? What does it mean to be “fruity?” And where did this comparison come from in the first place? Interestingly, the term may have originated from the gay community itself. Over time, gay men have begun to reclaim the “fruit” in the same way that “queen” and “queer” have become an innocuous part of our lexicon, and today use it as a term of endearment rather than a derogatory comment on one’s effeminacy and attraction towards other men. Much like the words queen and queer, “fruit” is a slur that has been hurled against gay men for decades. He was a bit of an insensitive jerk, and we did not miss him when he failed to file for an extension of his green card and was sent back to Canada to straighten it out. Why he wasn’t sensitive about a slur like “fruit” I’ll never know. ![]() I’m not sure if Canuck was or is seen as offensive by Canadians, but he certainly was sensitive about it. It’s a bit ironic, because this professor was Canadian, and he abhorred being called a Canuck. I do not think he meant it as a derogatory comment, but I was still offended. When I came out in graduate school, I remember a professor came up to me and said, “Congratulations, I hear you’re a fruit.” I was horrified, and it was incredibly inappropriate. ![]()
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