Word of the Gay

*Straight talk on Gay language, one day at-a-time.

Archive for March 6, 2008

#6 “gurrrl”

“What’d she say?! Well let me tell you…”

Some gay men use the word “gurrrl” as a way to reiterate something that they have just said. Or rather, as either an exclamation on its own, or as a way to address someone (usually another gay man). It is best received when shouted or said with a gravelly and/or affected accent.  It has been co-opted by mainstream society as a way of stereotyping perceived gay or African-American speech patterns.

Example:

“Gurrrl, I sure am hungry!!!”

- pronoun

1. referring to a male or female acquaintance or peer

2. used to address someone in a frank, sarcastic or humorous manner

 

- interjection

1. an exclamation used to address a peer in a dramatic or humorous manner

2. a phrase used to add extra emphasis

 

[Origin: Closely associated with and accredited to African-American and gay slang of the 1990s.]

 

Related:

1. riot grrrl: A grassroots third wave feminist movement deeply connected to the punk rock scene in the early to mid 1990’s. Mostly youth-oriented, riot grrrl was neither an organization or a specific thought, but instead thrived on non-hierarchal “chapters” set up across America and parts of Europe connecting mostly young women with music, a thriving “zine” scene, and direct political action.  (courtesy of: urbandictionary.com)

#5 “Mnh-hnhmmm”

Gay men say some pretty outrageous things. So it’s only natural that you might not believe what comes out of their mouths. Likewise, gay people have a lot of attitude, and might not believe everything that comes out of yours.

If you are in need of a sassy retort to your homo-amigo’s unbelievable ramblings, why not try the following: “Mnh-hnhmmm!”

“Mnh-hnhmmm” most likely derived from the affirmative response, “Uh-huh” and is most often used with sarcasm to denote an air of disbelief.  The phrase has been popularized by teenagers, and may also be accredited to African-American slang popularized by women and gay men for many decades.

Nowadays, you will find that you hear more sassy young white gay men and older Afircan-American woman using this phrase.

- interjection

1. used to indicate disbelief or disapproval

2. sarcastic remark used in a mocking or sarcastic manner

Example 1
Person 1: “Seriously, I’m not really that into him.”
Person 2: “Mnh-hnhmmm…”

Synonyms: yeah right, whatever, oh p’shaw, okay, uh-huh