General
cod
What does cod mean?
Survives in mainstream English as 'cod-' meaning fake or mock, as in 'cod-Latin' or a 'cod accent'.
"She put on a cod posh voice for the charpering omi."
Origin
Polari of mid-20th-century Britain; 'cod' meaning bad or fake has uncertain origins but links to the older English 'cod' (a joke, a hoax), as noted in Paul Baker's Polari research.
Frequently asked questions
What does cod mean in Polari?
It means bad, tacky or poor quality — the opposite of 'bona'.
Is cod related to fake things?
Yes — 'cod-' survives in English meaning mock or fake, as in 'cod-Latin' or a 'cod accent'.
Where does cod come from?
Its origin is uncertain, but it is linked to an older English sense of 'cod' meaning a hoax or rubbish.
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