I was watching Bringing Up Baby on Friday night. It's a classic Cary Grant film from 1939, and it reminded me of the word gay.Nobody is quite sure when gay shifted meaning from jolly to homosexual. It's complicated by the fact that gay could also mean libidinous, as evidenced by a 1939 citation from the OED:
She understood that there had been ‘ladies’. Her father had in fact a‥reputation as ‘gay’.
Which looks a trifle strange to modern eyes. Also, the whole reason that the word gay came to mean homosexual was that it could mean jolly. Here is an explanation of its origins from 1941 by a man named Painter:
Supposing one met a stranger on a train from Boston to New York and wanted to find out whether he was ‘wise’ or even homosexual. One might ask: ‘Are there any gay spots in Boston?’ And by a slight accent put on the word ‘gay’ the stranger, if wise, would understand that homosexual resorts were meant.
And 1941 is the first year that there are unambiguous records of the word in its Uranian sense. However, there are lots of previous citations where gay could just possibly maybe refer to manly love and one of the ones cited in the OED is the film Bringing Up Baby. There's a point where Cary Grant has his clothes stolen whilst he's in the shower and is therefore forced to wander around in a lady's negligée. It's utterly uncertain what the word means here, especially as "go gay" could mean "lose your mind", so judge for yourself.
Whilst this is playing, try pressing 9 on your keyboard again and again and again and again.
suddenly...Gay!
ReplyDeletePressing 9 had such unexpected results I had to do it again! (Three times.)Thanks Inky Fool!
ReplyDeleteBut what about Gay Street, New York City?
ReplyDeleteI read an article many years ago that "gay" came about as an acronym for "Good As You". It was apparently coined in the 20s. I haven't been able to find a connection to this article anywhere on the internet. I have noticed that a lot of LGBT sites refer to "Good As You. This makes perfect sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI read that prostitutes were once referred to as "gay ladies" and so rent boys (who slept with men mostly) became known as "gay boys".
ReplyDeleteAnon: I've heard that story, but never seen any evidence for it. It appears to be a retrospective acronym, rather like me claiming that Mark means "Makes a reasonable kedgeree". I do, but that's not why my parents named me.
ReplyDeleteAnon 2: there's definitely a sexual element around. But that 1941 explanation is actually the first time that it's definitely used to mean homosexual, so it seems pretty good. There are earlier possible citations, but they might all be us reading stuff back in.
'Gay' meaning homosexual is far, far older than these posts indicate. In fact 'gay' has never ONLY meant innocently happy. The OED citations show it has had the meaning for both sexes of promiscuous or lewd for many centuries.
DeleteAn early quotation from the year 1597, within Shakespeare's lifetime, runs: "Some gay professors (keeping secret minions) do love their wives to avoid shame". Minions were male lovers.
Pressing 9 on my keyboard had the expected results - nothing at all. Possibly because I'm not on a PC.
ReplyDeleteCan someone let me in on the secret of what happens when other people do it?
Advance gratitude.
Using mac and it worked OK. Hitting the no 9 key repeats the last sequence of Cary Grant jumping whilst crying out "gone gay"
Delete