General
charper
What does charper mean?
To search, look for, or hunt something out. The headline use is 'charpering omi' — literally a 'searching man', i.e. a policeman — the very people Polari was built to talk around back when being gay could get you arrested.
"Nanti that one, dear, he's a charpering omi."
Origin
Polari, the secret cant of mid-20th-century British gay men, theatre and fairground folk. 'Charper' (to search) likely traces to Italian 'cercare', to look for. 'Omi' is Polari for man.
Frequently asked questions
Why does 'charpering omi' mean policeman?
'Charper' is to search and 'omi' is man — a searching man, i.e. a cop. Coded so gay men could warn each other when homosexuality was still illegal.
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