• Psaldorn@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    UK parlance

    “fag” = cigarette “Gay” = happy/good times “Queer” = odd or unusual

    🏳️‍🌈❤️

    • ImplyingImplications
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      8 months ago

      My friend’s dad is from Scotland. He came to Canada and works as a dealer at a casino. One day, two obviously gay men sat at his table and one of them put down his pack of cigarettes. My friend’s dad then unknowingly said “I’m sorry sir, but we don’t allow fags at the table”. Everyone learned a bit about regional dialects that day!

      • thegiddystitcher@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        It’s kind of an old-timey usage. Comes up a lot in Lord of the Rings.

        “Gay” in this context is also old-timey.

        But a cigarette is still a “fag” to a lot of people. Interestingly uncomfortable for me to even type out even though I grew up with that being a totally normal word!

        • someguy3
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          8 months ago

          I know gay and fag mean happy and cigarette, but didn’t know that queer was used to mean unusual (like I know it can be defined as that, but didn’t think anyone used it like that.)

          • Gabu@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            The song “Star of the County Down”, as sung by The High Kings, uses “queer” to mean “unusual”. Incidently, I find that to be the best arrange of this classic Irish tune - very melodious.

      • macrocarpa@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Not frequently said, but certainly written

        'as I crossed the misty downs I had the queerest feeling - as if being watched."

    • ILikeBoobies
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      8 months ago

      Canada is the same except

      Gay/Queer meanings are old fashioned

      And fag was a slur for religious people but that appears to be old fashioned now