Polari is a code language, sometimes called "a secret gay language", that was used by LGBTQ people in Britain from the early 1900s until about the 1970s. It was a way for LGBTQ people to communicate with each other in public and private spaces without anyone knowing what they were talking about. Polari used words and phrases that were borrowed from different languages, such as Italian, Yiddish, and Romani. For example, "naff" meant bad or not good, and "bona" meant good or nice. People also made up their own words and phrases, such as "trimming" for looking good and "nanti" for no thank you. Polari was a way for LGBTQ people to have their own private conversations in public and to connect with each other.