Thread: Cuties

Does anyone know where the slang term "fruit" comes from?

Just curious.

Originally Posted by slim

Does anyone know where the slang term "fruit" comes from?

Just curious.

http://bit.ly/VbpNp1

Thanks Tinker. Here is what I found.

Fruit and fruitcake (as well as many variations) are sexual slang terms which have various origins but modern usages tend to primarily refer to gay men and sometimes other LGBT people.[1][2] Usually used as pejoratives, the terms have also been re-appropriated as insider terms of endearment within LGBT communities.[3] Many modern pop culture references within the gay nightlife like "Fruit Machine" and "Fruit Packers" have been appropriated for reclaiming usage, similar to queer and dyke.[4][

Fruit as gay slang or slur is amongst the lexicon of the cant slang Polari used in the gay subculture in Britain, which has become more mainstream with transcontinental travel and online communication.[15] There is still debate about how Polari originated but its origins can be traced back to at least the 19th century[16] and has multiple origins and routes of dissemination with researchers finding a relatively small base of less than two dozen common (universal words) supplemented by regional phrases. It is believed to be passed on near exclusively by oral history and teaching and was found in traveling professions such as those in the sailing and traveling entertainment industries (like minstrel shows and circuses). In Polari, fruit means queen, which at the time and still today is a term for gay men and can be used positively or negatively depending on the speaker, usage and intent

Interesting. The use of the term "faggot" to describe a homosexual man has a stronger history it seems.

You guys are a bunch of fruit packers.