General
lily law
What does lily law mean?
The police, dressed up in a camp feminine alias. Polari loved to feminise authority into harmless-sounding women — Lily Law, Betty Bracelets (handcuffs), Jennifer Justice. Naming the thing that could arrest you for who you were, and naming it as a fussy lady, was both a warning system and a small act of defiance. You'd hiss 'Lily Law' to clear the room.
"Quick, put that away — Lily Law's just walked in."
Origin
Polari, the secret language of British gay men, used when same-sex activity was criminalised in the UK. One of a set of feminised police nicknames alongside Betty Bracelets and Jennifer Justice — coded warnings disguised as gossip about women.
Frequently asked questions
What does Lily Law mean?
Lily Law is Polari slang for the police, one of several mock-feminine nicknames the gay subculture used for the cops.
How do you use Lily Law in a sentence?
"Watch out, Lily Law's coming down the street" — a coded warning that the police were about.
What language does Lily Law come from?
It comes from Polari, the secret slang used by gay men and theatre folk in mid-20th-century Britain.
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