queer

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(kwîr) pronunciation
adj., queer·er, queer·est.
  1. Deviating from the expected or normal; strange: a queer situation.
  2. Odd or unconventional, as in behavior; eccentric. See synonyms at strange.
  3. Of a questionable nature or character; suspicious.
  4. Slang. Fake; counterfeit.
  5. Feeling slightly ill; queasy.
  6. Offensive Slang. Homosexual.
  7. Usage Problem. Of or relating to lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, or transgendered people.
n.
  1. Offensive Slang. Used as a disparaging term for a homosexual person.
  2. Usage Problem. A lesbian, gay male, bisexual, or transgendered person.
tr.v. Slang, queered, queer·ing, queers.
  1. To ruin or thwart: "might try to queer the Games with anything from troop movements . . . to a bomb attack" (Newsweek).
  2. To put (someone) in a bad position.

[Perhaps from Low German, oblique, off-center, from Middle Low German dwer.]

queerish queer'ish adj.
queerly queer'ly adv.
queerness queer'ness n.

USAGE NOTE   A reclaimed word is a word that was formerly used solely as a slur but that has been semantically overturned by members of the maligned group, who use it as a term of defiant pride. Queer is an example of a word undergoing this process. For decades queer was used solely as a derogatory adjective for gays and lesbians, but in the 1980s the term began to be used by gay and lesbian activists as a term of self-identification. Eventually, it came to be used as an umbrella term that included gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people. Nevertheless, a sizable percentage of people to whom this term might apply still hold queer to be a hateful insult, and its use by heterosexuals is often considered offensive. Similarly, other reclaimed words are usually offensive to the in-group when used by outsiders, so extreme caution must be taken concerning their use when one is not a member of the group.



The word was first used as an adjective and noun meaning 'homosexual' in the 1920s. Although it is still generally regarded as derogatory or offensive when used by heterosexual people, it has been adopted in recent years by homosexuals referring to themselves, especially in terms such as queer-bashing and queer rights. See gay.

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adj

Definition: not feeling well
Antonyms: healthy, well

adj

Definition: very odd; abnormal
Antonyms: conventional, normal, regular, typical, usual

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: v. - Put in a dangerous or difficult position; Hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of adj. - Beyond or deviating from the usual or expected.

pronunciation My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near. — Robert Frost, Source: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, 1923

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  1. queer
    adjective

    1:
    Of coins or banknotes: counterfeit or forged. (1740 — 1941).
    R. Chandler If it was discovered to be queer money, as you say, it would be very difficult to trace the source of it (1941). noun

    2:

    a:
    Counterfeit money; also, forged banknotes or bonds. (1812 —) .

    b:
    : on the queer (living) by dishonest means, esp. by counterfeiting. (1905 — 42).


    [The earlier sense, 'bad, worthless', dates from the 16th cent., when the word was spelled quire, quyre, etc. More recently, it has tended to be identified with queer2 adjective and noun, because of the rough similarity of meaning.]
  2. queer
    adjective

    1:
    Homosexual. Also in phr. as queer as a coot. (1922 —) .
    A. White 'I say, Peter, you're not turning queer by any chance, are you?' (1976). noun

    2:
    A homosexual, esp. a male homosexual. (1935 —) .



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categories related to 'queer'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to queer, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Queer.

Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities[1] that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual) communities as being oppressive or assimilationist.

This term is controversial because it was reappropriated only two decades ago from its use as an anti-gay epithet. Furthermore, some LGBT people disapprove of using queer as a catch-all because they consider it offensive, derisive or self-deprecating given its continuous use as a form of hate speech. Other LGBT people may avoid queer because they associate it with political radicalism, or simply because they perceive it as the faddish slang of a "younger generation."

Contents


Background

Origin

Since its emergence in the English language in the 16th century (related to the German quer, meaning "across, at right angle, diagonally or transverse"), queer has generally meant "strange", "unusual", or "out of alignment". It might refer to something suspicious or "not quite right", or to a person with mild derangement or who exhibits socially inappropriate behaviour. The expression "in Queer Street" was used in the UK as of the 1811 edition of Francis Grose's A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue for someone in financial trouble.[2]

Queer as Folk is a reference to the common expression unrelated to homosexuality "There's nowt so queer as folk".

In the 1904 Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Second Stain", the term is still used in a completely non-sexual context (Inspector Lestrade is threatening a misbehaving constable with "finding himself in Queer Street", i.e., in this context, being severely punished).

Semantic shift

By the time that story was published, however, the term was already starting to gain a connotation of sexual deviance (especially that of homosexual and/or effeminate males), which is already known in the late 19th century; an early recorded usage of the word in this sense was in a letter by John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry to his son Lord Alfred Douglas.

Subsequently, for most of the 20th century, "queer" was frequently used as a derogatory term for effeminate gay males who were believed to engage in receptive or passive anal/oral sex with men, and others exhibiting untraditional (i.e., trans [3]) gender behaviour. Furthermore, masculine males, who performed the role of the "penetrator" were considered "straights".[4]

Linguistic reappropriation

One of the most famous attempts by the LGBT community to re-claim the term "queer" was through an organisation called Queer Nation, which was formed in March 1990; a few months later, an influential though anonymous flier was distributed at the New York Gay Pride Parade in June 1990 entitled "Queers Read This".[5]

Because of the context in which it was reclaimed, queer has sociopolitical connotations, and is often preferred by those who are activists; by those who strongly reject traditional gender identities; by those who reject distinct sexual identities such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and straight; and by those who see themselves as oppressed by the heteronormativity of the larger culture. In this usage it retains the historical connotation of "outside the bounds of normal society" and can be construed as "breaking the rules for sex and gender". It can be preferred because of its ambiguity, which allows "queer"-identifying people to avoid the sometimes strict boundaries that surround other labels. In this context, "queer" is not a synonym for LGBT as it creates a space for "queer" heterosexuals as well as "non-queer" homosexuals.

The term is sometimes capitalized when referring to an identity or community, rather than merely a sexual fact (cf. the capitalized use of Deaf).[6]

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, a number of internet communities started to use the term 'LGBTQ,' the 'Q' standing for 'queer,' to represent forms of sexuality that fall outside of the original LGBT framework, in order to promote awareness and acceptance of these forms of sexuality. The term has a similar function to that of LGBTI, except LGBTQ focuses on sexuality rather than gender.[7]

Inclusivity and scope

The range of what "queer" includes varies. In addition to referring to LGBT-identifying people, it can also encompass: pansexual, pomosexual, intersexual, genderqueer, asexual and autosexual people, and even gender normative heterosexuals whose sexual orientations or activities place them outside the heterosexual-defined mainstream, e.g., BDSM practitioners, or polyamorous persons.

For some queer-identified people, part of the point of the term "queer" is that it simultaneously builds up and tears down boundaries of identity. For instance, among genderqueer people, who do not solidly identify with one particular gender, once solid gender roles have been torn down, it becomes difficult to situate sexual identity. For some people, the non-specificity of the term is liberating. Queerness becomes a way to simultaneously make a political move against heteronormativity while simultaneously refusing to engage in traditional essentialist identity politics.[8]

Current examples

Academia

Arts, entertainment, and publishing

Some television shows that use "queer" in their titles include both the British and North American versions of Queer as Folk, Queer Eye, and the cartoon Queer Duck. This commonplace usage has, especially in the American colloquial culture, recently led to the more hip and iconic abbreviation "Q".[9]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ "Queer". ALGBTICAL. http://www.algbtical.org/2A%20QUEER.htm. Retrieved September 2, 2010. 
  2. ^ The Telegraph If one is bankrupt, one is in Queer Street. This originates from the word query which tradesmen and merchants would write against the names of persons who were late in paying. Another theory relates it to Carey Street off Chancery Lane in London which housed the bankruptcy courts.
  3. ^ Jane Czyzselska, untitled, Pride 1996 Magazine (london: Pride Trust & Gay Times, 1996) p15
  4. ^ A TALE OF TWO SEXUAL REVOLUTIONS; STEPHEN ROBERTSON AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF AMERICAN STUDIES Quote: The most striking addition to the picture offered by D’Emilio and Freedman is a working-class sexual culture in which only those men who took the passive or feminine role were considered ‘queer.’ A man who took the ‘active role,’ who inserted his penis into another man, remained a ‘straight’ man, even when he had an on-going relationship with a man who took the passive role.
  5. ^ Text of the "Queer Read This" flier. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Information About: Queer". Retrieved on September 2, 2010.
  7. ^ Tumblr tag search of "LGBTQ" to highlight its prevalence
  8. ^ "Alphabet Soup: Labels and Empowerment". Retrieved on September 2, 2010.
  9. ^ " Queerbook, What's In A Name?" Retrieved on September 2, 2010.

Bibliography

  • Anon. "Queercore". i-D magazine No. 110; the sexuality issue. (1992).
  • Crimp, D. AIDS DemoGraphics. (1990).
  • Katlin, T. "Slant: Queer Nation". Artforum, November 1990. pp. 21–23.
  • Tucker, S. "Gender, Fucking & Utopia". Social text, Vol.9, No.1. (1992).

External links


Top

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - mærkelig, underlig, mistænkelig, tvivlsom, fordægtig, utilpas, homoseksuel
n. - homoseksuel, bøsse
v. tr. - spolere, narre

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    være i økonomiske vanskeligheder, være langt ude
  • queer his pitch    spænde ben for en, spolere nogens planer

Nederlands (Dutch)
vreemd, verdacht, vervalst (geld), beetje misselijk/onwel, homoseksueel, bederven (figuurlijk)

Français (French)
adj. - étrange, bizarre, louche, suspect, (GB) patraque (arch), pédé (injur), homosexuel
n. - homosexuel, pédale (injur)
v. tr. - déranger, détraquer, ruiner, contrecarrer (plan), placer dans une situation délicate

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    (GB) (être) dans une mauvaise passe
  • queer his pitch    contrecarrer ses plans

Deutsch (German)
n. - Homosexueller
v. - verderben
adj. - seltsam, fragwürdig, unwohl, (Slang) betrunken, (Slang) homosexuell

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    in Schwierigkeiten
  • queer his pitch    ihm einen Strich durch die Rechnung machen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ομοφυλόφιλος, αδερφή, εκκεντρικός, λοξός
v. - χαλώ, μπουρδουκλώνω
adj. - αλλόκοτος, παράδοξος, ύποπτος, σκοτεινός, αδιάθετος, ομοφυλόφιλος

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    σε οικονομικές δυσχέρειες, σε αδεκαρίες
  • queer his pitch    χαλάω τα σχέδια κάποιου

Italiano (Italian)
bizzarro, omosessuale, finocchio, frocio, strano, dubbio, sospetto

idioms:

  • in queer street    in difficoltà, inguaiato
  • queer his pitch    rompere le uova nel paniere

Português (Portuguese)
n. - dinheiro falso (m) (gír.)
v. - burlar, estragar
adj. - estragado, arruinado

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    estar em apuros
  • queer his pitch    estragar os planos

Русский (Russian)
педик, странный, подозрительный, эксцентричный, поддельный

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    в затруднительном положении
  • queer his pitch    смешать планы

Español (Spanish)
adj. - homosexual, invertido, extraño, raro, misterioso, curioso
n. - homosexual, invertido
v. tr. - ridiculizar, comprometer, estropear

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    en apuros, en un aprieto
  • queer his pitch    estropear los proyectos de alguien

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - bög, fikus (sl.)
v. - fördärva (sl.), stjälpa (sl.)
adj. - konstig, underlig, egendomlig, misstänkt, skum, homosexuell (sl.), falsk, värdelös (sl.)

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
奇怪的, 可疑的, 不舒服的, 同性恋者, 搞糟

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    拮据, 经济上陷入困境
  • queer his pitch    破坏他成功的机会

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 奇怪的, 可疑的, 不舒服的
n. - 同性戀者
v. tr. - 搞糟

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    拮據, 經濟上陷入困境
  • queer his pitch    破壞他成功的機會

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 기묘한, 이상한, 부정한
n. - 위조지폐, 동성애를 즐기는 남자, 괴짜
v. tr. - 곤경에 빠지게 하다, 방해하다, 찌뿌드하게 하다

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    곤경에 빠져, 돈에 쪼들려, 평이 나빠

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 奇妙な, 怪しい, 疑わしい, 気が変な, 気分が悪い
v. - だめにする

idioms:

  • in Queer Street    金に困って
  • queer his pitch    成功を陰でぶち壊す

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) لوطي, غريب, شاذ (فعل) يفسد, يوقع شخصا في ورطه (صفه) غريب, لوطي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮משונה, מטורף, מופרע, לא בקו הבריאות, מוזר, בעל אישיות מפוקפקת‬
n. - ‮הומוסקסואל, מטורף, מופרע, שיכור‬
v. tr. - ‮שיבש, קלקל‬


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