Northern Illinois University Center for Southeast Asian Studies

Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University

VISAYAN SWARDSPEAK: The Language of a Gay Community in the Philippines

Author(s): Donn Hart and Harriett Hart
Source: Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 5, No. 2 (1990),
pp. 27-49
Published by: Northern Illinois University Center for Southeast Asian Studies
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40860309
Accessed: 29-11-2015 19:40 UTC

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 VISAYAN SWARDSPEAK:
TheLanguageof a Gay Community
in thePhilippines

Donn and HarriettHart

This is a limitedstudyof swardspeakconductedduringthe

year 1979 and the summerof 1982,just priorto the death of the
seniorauthor,Donn V. Hart.1 There have been only a limited
numberofstudiesofthehomosexualscenein thePhilippines, most
ofwhichhavebeenconductedin Manila. The seniorauthor'sstudy
ofhomosexuality in a villagein southernNegrosOrientalprovides
an excellentbackgroundforthisstudy(Hart1968).
Thisresearchwas conductedand thisargotcollectedin Cebu
City,which is the second largestcityin the Philippines,and in
DumagueteCity,whichis muchsmallerand is thecapitalofNegro
Oriental.Cebuanois thelanguagespokenin bothcities.
In Cebu Cityteninformants wereused,rangingin age from20
to 32. Somewerestudents, otherswerebeauticiansand government
employees. These ten thenpassed out the vocabularyto twenty-
fiveothers,checkingtheargotforvariationsand popularity.The
argot was constantlybeing revised and recirculatedagain and
again. Eightinformants were used in DumagueteCity,checking
withanothertwentyinformants in the same manner. Only those
words that the authors felthad been sufficiently checked for
meaningand popularity wereincludedin thestudy.JohnWolff'sA
Dictionaryof Cebuano Visayanwas used to check spelling and
meaning.
The vocabularyis presentedwiththemeaningof thewords
and phrases,as the informants understoodthem,along withthe
rootwordsin Cebuano,Tagalog,orSpanish.
Many informantsbelieved the argot came mostly from
Spanishand Tagalog. However,over halfof therootwordswere
Cebuano,withEnglishbeingthesecondlargestsourceforwords. In
Reyes1977 studyof Tagalog swardspeak he indicatesthatmostof
his vocabularycame fromthe Taglish(a combinationof Tagalog
and English)translationof the play TheBoysin theBand. Only a

1 Earlierversionsofthis
paperweregivenat thePhilippineStudiesGroup
meetingin 1984at theUniversity
ofMichiganand on February10,1989,in
the SoutheastAsia FridayLectureSeriesat NorthernIllinoisUniversity.
We wish to thank Lina Davide Ong for her suggestionsand careful
readingofthispaper.

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few words in this vocabularyare fromthe play. Taglish is not
spokenas widelyin Cebu and Dumaguetecitiesas it is in Manila.
Cebuano is the largestof the Visayan languages in termsof the
numberof speakersand is the language spoken in the research
areas. English and some Tagalog (the national language) are
spoken.
Bayut or sissy (Wolff1972) is the general termused by
Cebuano speakersfora male homosexual. Bayut refersto all male
homosexuals,transvestites, and effeminates. Of morerecentorigin
is theword swardfora male homosexual. Althoughit was thor-
oughlyinvestigated, its originwas neverestablished. It seems to
have appeared in the language in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
Ponteneladoes notmentionsward,butuses bayutin her1979thesis
on Dumaguetehomosexuals.Swardis, however,used todayin the
male homosexualargotofDumagueteCity. Swardis used withthe
same meaningas bayut,but usuallydenotesthosebayutwho con-
siderthemselves to be upperclass,educated,and refined.
Bayuts, some informantssaid, are visually differentfrom
swards,moreswishy,dress morecolorfully, wear morecosmetics
and generallyadvertisetheirbayut-ness. A social stratification
appears,then,to existbetweenswardand bayut.A swardcan asso-
ciate with a bayut fairlyeasily but not vice versa; swards are
upper class and bayutsare lowerclass. The lakin-on(tomboy,see
Wolff1972),or femalehomosexual,does not associatewitheither.
Pimpsand prostitutes are even lowerclass thanbayutand lakin-on.
A numberofinformants feltthatcliquesexisted,whereprofessional
groups of swardsonly associated withintheirown group,thatis
actorwithactor,beautyshop ownerswitheach other. Theyall,
however,use swardspeak.
Most Visayansare lenientand indulgentof local homosexu-
als. A homosexualmay provokea smile,is sometimesteased by
childrenand youngmales,and is generallythoughtto be funnybut
notridiculousor unusual. A homosexualis notsubjectto arrestor
harassmentby police or government officials.Thereare no laws
againsthomosexuality in the Philippines.A verylow level of anx-
iety exists toward homosexuals on the part of Visayan Filipinos.
Theyare usuallynotopenlycriticized, norare theyseen as danger-
ous or as criminals.The Philippines,then,is probablyone of the
majorcontemporary culturesmosttolerantof homosexuals,espe-
cially the high visibilityof the transvestite(Whitam 1986 and
Hart 1968).

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 Visayans will readily discuss homosexuals with you,
pointingout knownones and otherswho are not publiclyknown.
Asking about homosexual rights and organizations in the
Philippineswillgetyou thefollowinganswer: we don'tneed orga-
nizations,we have no problems.
In Cebu and Dumaguetecitiesthemale homosexual,particu-
larly the transvestite,is usually most visible in beauty shops,
dress-makingshops, interiordecoratingand the entertainment
industry.In Cebu Cityhomosexualsare theproprietors of some of
themostreputablebeautysalons and fashionshops. In Manila,it
is said, theydominatethe entertainment industry.One needs to
learnswardspeak in orderto fullyparticipatein the entertainment
and highfashionindustries.At San Carlos University, homosex-
ual studentsstudyin manyareas: commerce, architecture, so on.
and
However, those students readilyadmitthatmostmale homosexu-
als pursuevocationalcoursessuchas cosmetology and hairscience.
Visayanswardspeak is not a restrictive
argot. Althoughit is
said to be secretive,it is understoodby manyoutsiders.Thereare
severalreasonswhy swardspeakis understoodbeyondthe homo-
sexual community.Film,radio,and televisionstarsfindit neces-
sary to learnswardspeak,whethertheyare homosexualsor not,
becauseitis so widelyspokenbythelargenumberofhomosexualsin
theentertainment industry.It is notuncommonto finda lead actor
in a television,radio, or filmproductionplayinga homosexual
character.Fashionmodels are urgedby the designersto become
proficient in swardspeak.And thosewho are regularcustomersof
thedesignersand beautysalonsunderstandsomeswardspeak.
Althougha gre^tmanywords come directlyfromCebuano,
Spanish,English,or Tagalog,theyare givena different meaningor
a shade of meaningfromtherootword. Take forexample,hombre,
Spanishforman,meanspickup in swardspeak; "chapter,"English,
means uglyor ordinary,as thechaptersof a book are ordinaryor
short.Or swardsplay on words,suchas pumpiang, Tagalog,means
(crashing)cymbals, and refers to two swards playingwith each
other'spenises.
While informants say thereare rules,it is difficultto see a
clear patternotherthan those normallyused in Cebuano: p is
changedto f,b to v, and e to i. Swardinformants said thisgives a
moreexaggerated feminine sound; words are changedto soundmore
feminineor like baby talk (see, forexample,FefitaFarufaruin the
glossarybelow).

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 Most of the wordsand phrasesin theargothave to do with
thesex act: uringis sodomy;"sixty-nine" is fellatio;biomeansblow
and blow job; and "s and d" or singinin dansinor "suckand drink."
Salsaland dukdukare to masturbate as well as "ringthebell" from
a Tagalogversionofa popularAmericansong.
Thereare a numberofwordsforpenisthatcomefromEnglish
and Spanish. From Spanish comes grande,whichmeans a large
penis. FromEnglish,"Pepsi" refersto a large-sizedpenis; "bam-
boo" is penis;and "flower"meansgenitalia.All thewordsforpenis
referto a large penis, except "lower do" and "upper do" (from
musicalscales) mean smalland largepenis,respectively.
Regularwordsin Cebuanoare changedbyaddinga prefixora
sound,suchas paluyugug bungut, meaningto rubthepubicarea in
foreplay. This phrase is derived from two Cebuano words,bungut,
meaning beard and luyug, to rub. The "pa" soundis added fora soft-
eningeffect.Anotherexampleis mubag-id meaningto ruba man's
crotch, whichcomesfromtheCebuanowordbag-id, to rubbackand
forth.
A commonlyused suffixis "-ing." Uringor sometimesuring-
uringareswardwordsforsodomy. Theirrootis urus,to sizzleor to
sizzle withsex urges. This is further feminizedintourisiting, with
thesamemeaning.
Kiduy,anal intercourse, takestherootword kiyud,meaning
to thrustthelowerpartof thebody forward, and reversesthelast
to
syllable yud duy. Hab-habin, meaning fellatio,is fromthe
Cebuano word a
hab-hab, derogatoryexpressionmeaningpeople
who eat likepigs,withan "-in"added.
Swardspeak containsa greatmanywordsthatare compounds,
or
alliterations, double entendres."AC/DC," meaninga heterosex-
ual, is fromEnglish alternating/direct current. English "Asian
fever"is an uglysward,because it is thoughtthata Caucasian is
betterthanan Asian. English"doubleblade" is a bisexual;"tra-la-
la" is fellatio;"ha-la-la" is sexual intercoursebetweenmen and
women;bayu-bayu is to masturbate, fromCebuanobayu,meaningto
beat to a pulp; "seventhheaven" is to have an orgasm. "Famas
Award" is havingsex witha partnerothershave triedand failed
with- theFamas Award is like theAmericanOscar. "W. N." is a
whole nightof sex; "D. D. Q." is dinner,disco, and Queensland.
Queenslandis a hotelin Cebu thatfavorsmalehomosexuals.
Almostall of swardspeakis termsof reference.Thereare a
fewtermsof address;theseare termsof endearmentthatare nor-

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mallyused by Cebuanos in theirdaily activities. Thereare also
somegreetings and exclamations.
A numberof words or phrasesare used to referto a male
homosexual.Theyrangefromthegeneraltermbayut,sward,bakla
to referencesmeaningshy, shameless,rich,sexy. Interestingly,
queer,gay,and faggotare takenfromEnglish,butare consideredto
be words used by the lower class, but not to the pointof being
derogatory. Kaya means rich, star, talented; kapal means
shameless;and kalatmeans scatterbrain.A shyswardis a "Maria
Clara/' derived fromthe shy, retiringheroinein Rizal's novel.
The opposite is a "Rita Gomez" who is a sexy Philippinemovie
star. A "Donna Summer"is a sexyswardbecause of theAmerican
singer'ssexysongs.
Thereare a few words foran unrevealedmale homosexual.
The use oftheAmericanterm"C. Q." or closetqueen is considered
derogatory. It also has the meaning"to smell of mothballs" -
referring tothecustomofusingmothballs whenstoring clothingin a
closet. The generaltermfora latenthomosexualis buking,from
Cebuanobuku,whichmeansto revealone's character.
Physicalattributesis also a largecategory.A fewwordsare
fromEnglish,such as "Body by Fisher"fora superb physique;
"Clyde,"meaningugly,is fromthenameoftheorangutanin a Clint
Eastwoodmovie. Biyuis probablyfromEnglish,beauty. T. L. na T.
L. is a coined phrasemeaningsexuallyattractive and is fromthe
Tagalogsong "True Love."
Thereare a fewtermsforboyfriend or lover. Banarefersto a
partner, derivedfromCebuanobana(husband).FromEnglishcomes
"type" "steady,"meaningan excellentpartner.Coinedwordsare
or
ifik,a handsomebody, fromEnglisheffectand Cebuano ipiktu
(effect).
In spiteofanyshortcomings, thisstudywillgivesomeinsight
into the subcultureof gays and some clues forfurther research.
Several excellentstudies have been made of swardspeakin the
Manilaarea and we are fortunate to have theworkofDr. Frederick
Whitamon the subculturein Cebu City. Native Visayan and
Tagalogspeakersand linguistsneed to analyzewordsand phrases
moreextensively thanhas been done. The authors'own studystill
containsabout a hundredmore termsnot included here. More
researchis needed into the relationshipof Visayansubcultureof
theswardand bayutas well as Tagalog. The methodby which
wordsare coinedshouldhave further study.

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 The following glossary of collected terms has been arranged
conceptuallyto allow those who do not know the languages used to
gain an easiergrasp of the developmentof the sward speak jargon.

Vocabulary
NamesforHomosexuals
Designations,

and directcurrent.
AC/DC is a bisexual,fromEnglishalternating

Alanganinis a malehomosexual.Tagalog,meaningin-between,
half-way.FromCebuano ang-ang,halfcooked.

regardlessofdurationor rela-
Bana is a malehomosexual'spartner,
tionship.FromCebuanobana,husband.

Bagetis a youngmalewhohas justreachedpuberty.FromCebuano

newornovice.FromTagalog,underworld
bag-u, wordfornovice.

to a frogwho
Baki is a bisexual. FromCebuanobald,frog,referring
livesbothon land and in thesea.

Bakla is a male homosexual.FromTagalogbakla,slangfor

binabae,a male homosexual.

Barakita is a male homosexualwho associateswithheterosexuals

to copytheirmanners.FromTagalogbarako, manlyman,he-man,
fearless.

Batâ is a male homosexual'sboyfriend.FromTagalogbata,girl,

girlfriend, or mistress.
sweetheart,

sissy,male
Bayutis a male homosexual.FromCebuanobayut,
homosexual.

Binabae is a male homosexual.FromCebuanobayi,femaleanimal

or plant;binabayi,cock withhen's feathers.FromTagalog
binabae,effeminate, womanish.

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Birdigdugois a malehomosexual.FromCebuanoand Spanish
berdi,green,dirty,off-color,and dugu,blood, dugusa laid,semen.
Impliesmale homosexualhas "dirt/'or "off-color" blood.

Bugawis a pimp,heterosexualmaleor female.FromCebuano

bugaw,to actas a pimp. Swardsoftenspell theword.

Bukizmeanstorevealone's homosexuality.FromCebuanobuku,to
tobe foundout.
revealsomeone'scharacter,

as
Bukingmeanssomeonefindsoutone is a sward.Samederivation
above.

C. B. is a call boyor maleprostitute.FromEnglishcallboy. Also

said to be derivedfromtheinitialsof theCentralBankof the
Philippines.

C. Q. is a latenthomosexual.FromEnglishclosetqueen.

Cariocais a malehomosexual.Said tobe froma Tagalogmoviein

whicha famousFilipinoplaysa homosexual.Also possiblyfrom
thedance Cariocain theAmericanmovieFlyingDowntoRio.

malehomosexual.FromCebuano
Dang or dingis an effeminate
homosexual
dangs,fairy, who Used by
actseffeminate.
homosexualsin addressingone another.

Double blade is a bisexual.FromEnglishdouble-edgedrazorblade.

Faggotis a malehomosexual.FromEnglishfaggot.The wordis

used to meana lower-classsward.

FefitaFarufaruis a malehomosexualwho uses drugs. Thisis a

coinedword. FromCebuano,PepitaParuparu;Pepita,a girl'sname
and paruparu (Notethechangeofconsonants
beinga butterfly.
fromp to f fora feminine in swarkspeak.)
effect

F. O. T. G. is a callboy. Also a wayofsaying"superb!"Also the

initialsof an AmericanfilmFoodoftheGods.

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Gay is a malehomosexual.FromEnglishgay. Thisrefersto a
lower-classsward.

Gitay-anrefers
toan old,worn-out
malehomosexual.From
Cebuanotaya,meaningrusty.

Gunuis a femaleprostitute.
FromCebuanogunu,a smallfishfrom
thesea thatspoilseasilyand is oftensold at a low price.

Gurangis a maleswardor a malepartnerwho is old. FromWaray

meaningan old person.
gurang,

Hagip meansto seeka malepartner.FromTagaloghagip,tobump

intosomeonepurposely,likea hawksnatching
a chicken.

Half-halfis a male homosexual. FromEnglishhalfand half,

meaninghalfmale, halffemale.

Hombremeansa malehomosexual,a handsomemale,a pickup.

FromSpanishhombre,
man.

Kub-hayang is a bisexual.FromCebuanokub,turnoverand
to
hayang, turn up.

Kwaknitis a male homosexual.FromCebuanokwaknit,

bat. Bats
"cruise"at nightlookingforfreshmeat.

Lakin-onis a lesbian. FromCebuanolakin-on,

meaningmanlyor
tomboy.

Lalaki is a male homosexual'sboyfriend.FromCebuano lalaki,

man,maleorcommon-law husband.

Leon is thefatherofa male homosexual.Taglishfromthenameof

the fatherin the play The Boysin theBand.

Lola is a malehomosexualwho is over35. FromCebuanoloia,

grandmother or an olderfemale.

Love na loveis a lover,fromthetitleofa popularsong.

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Ma'am is a malehomosexualschoolteacher.FromEnglishmadam
or ma'am,oftenused as a termofaddresstoa teacher.

Madame is an old malehomosexual.FromEnglish.

witha
Madrilina is a male homosexualwho is veryeffeminate,
delicatephysique.FromCebuanomadri,nun. FromSpanishmadre,
mother.

man.
meanstobe masculine.FromSpanishhombre,
Mag-umbre

Mama is a malehomosexualwho is 35 yearsorolder. FromEnglish.

a termofaddress
Manayeis an old homosexual.Cebuanomanay,
fora femaleolderthanspeaker.

homosex-
Mariconeis a malehomosexual.FromSpanishmaricón,
ual, sodomite.

malehomosexual.FromCebuano
Miningis a veryeffeminate
a
mining, term of endearment.

Niniis a termofendearment fora malehomosexual.FromCebuano

appellationforgirls.
nini,an affectionate

Queen is a malehomosexual,usuallyimpliesleadership.From
English.

Queer is a malehomosexual.A lowerclass term,usuallyindicates

one is devious. FromEnglish.

Soledad is themotherofa male homosexual.Taglishand is the

nameof themotherin theplay TheBoysin theBand.

Sarizvais a teenagemale who is stilla virgin.FromTagalog

sariwa,fresh.

Sikatis a malehomosexualwho standsoutamongothers.From

Cebuanosikat,cocky,showingoff.

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Sisteris a termofendearment
used bymalehomosexualstoaddress
each other.FromEnglish.

Swardis a malehomosexual.Theoriginis unknown,

probably
coined.

Taratitatis a male prostitute.Thisis a coinedword.

Tomboyis a lesbian.FromEnglish.

Tigis an errandboy. FromCebuanotig-,a prefixadded tomany

Cebuanoverbsthatrefer toaction.As a nounitmeansone who
usuallydoes something.

TrueBlue is a heterosexual,
a straight.FromEnglishtrueblue,
meaninghonest,loyal,straight.

Tsuwariwarizvais an entourageofloud,noisyhomosexuals.Froma
recordby thePlattersin whichthesound "chu-chu-wa"
can be
heardin thebackground.

Sex Organs

Alas dose is an erectpenis. FromSpanishalas dose,twelve

o'clock.

Alas seis is a verylongpenis. FromSpanishalas seis,six o'clock.

Bothreferto thepositionofthepenisinsideshorts,up or down like
thehandsofa clock.

Bamboomeanspenis. FromEnglish.

Batutameanspenis. FrombothTagalogand Cebuanobatuta,

baton.
In Cebuano,itis slangforpenis.

Bukobarmeanspenis. FrombothTagalogand Cebuanobukobar,

a
cylindrically
shaped,youngcoconutmilk-flavored
popsicle.
(Presumablya comparison
beingmadebetweenyoungcoconutmilk
and semen.)

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 an eroticshow. Itis
Bumbais an erectpenis. FromCebuanobumba,
Cebuanoslangforintercourse.

beardormustache.
Bungutmeanspubichair. Frombungut,

Dala meansa penisor vagina. Cebuanodala,humoroustermfor

penisor vagina. Also meanstobringor carrya load.

Dakota is a male witha big penis. FromEnglish;Dakotais

believedto be a largeU.S. state. Possiblyrelatedto Cebuanodaku,
large.

Grandemeansan unusuallylargepenis. FromSpanish.

tohigher"do" on
Higherdo meansa bigpenis. FromEnglish,refers
themusicalscale.

Lata is thefemalegenitalia.FromCebuano lata,soft,spoiled

toomuchuse,so
fruit.Thewordhas a coarsemeaningindicating
thewomanhas becomespoiledor rotten.

tolower"do" on
Lowerdo is a smallpenis. FromEnglish,referring
themusicalscale.

Minnesotais a largepenis. FromEnglish;Minnesotais considered

to be a largeU.S. State.

Nota meanspenis. FromCebuanonuta,musicalnotes.From

Spanish nota,note.

Pedia or Pepsi refersto a largepenis. FromEnglish,comparingthe

penisto a large-sizedbottleof Pepsi.

penis. FromEnglishregular.
Regsis a regular-sized

Ulukis a circumcised
penis. FromCebuanouluk,penis.

Sex Acts,Sexual Activity

Abortionmeansejaculation.FromEnglish.

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 betweenmalehomosexuals.From
Bag-idis sexualintercourse
Cebuanobag-id, as rubbingone's penisovera
torubbackand forth,
partner'sbody.

BantilyaMurillais to masturbate.FromCebuanobaiil,tobeator
whipeggs,tocream.

Bayli is anal intercourse.FromCebuanobayli,to dance.

Bayu-bayumeanstomasturbate.FromCebuanobayu,tobeattoa
pulp.

Bicyclemeansmale-maleor male-female intercourse.From

English;a parallelis made to pumpingon a bicycle.

Bio, blow is fellatio.FromEnglishblowjob.

Brochais lickinga partner'sbodyduringsex. FromSpanishbrocha,

painter'sbrush.

Datungis moneypaid forsexualfavors.FromCebuanotung,a rake-

off,bribe.

malewho engagesin receptive

Dap-a Ako Dungis a heterosexual
FromCebuanodopa,to lie on thestomach.
intercourse.

witha malehomosexual.Thisis
Do orDo Kido is anal intercourse
a coinedword.

Dinsinis anal intercourse.

FromEnglishdance. Itrefers
todances
whereone swingsone'ships.

Drinkmeansto swallowthesemenduringfellatio.FromEnglish.

Dukdukis tomasturbate. topoundsome-

FromCebuanodukduk,
thingrepeatedly.

is oralsexbetweentwomalehomosexuals.From
Eighty-eight
"I
English, (eight/ate)you,you (eight/ate)me."

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 to strollin colorful
Fara-farameansto cruisefora malesex partner,
attire.Thisis a coinedword.

FrenchConnectionis oralsex. FromtheEnglishtitleofthemovie.

Gamisiis sodomy.FromGreekgamos,wedding;gamisi,sexual
intercourse.

Geographymeanstocruisefora malesexpartner.FromEnglish.

Greek is anal intercourse.Fromthebeliefthatthisis thefavorite

sexualactofmanyGreeks.

theway pigs eat.

Hab-habin is fellatio.FromCebuano hab-hab,

Hala-hala is toobtainyoungmenforsexualpurposes.From
Tagalog hala,go ahead, a warning.

betweenmanand woman. Probably

Ha-la-la is sexualintercourse
derivedfromEnglish.

Ichusis usuallyused todescribemalehomosexualswho tryto

attention
attract by talkingloudly. FromCebuanoitsus,sexual
intercourse.

FromCebuanoipit,jam,wedged
intercourse.
Ifitingis intrafemoral
inbetweentwothings.

FromCebuanoiyut,to
intercourse.
lyutis oral,anal or intrafemoral
have sexualintercourse.

Kiduyis anal intercourse.FromCebuanokiyud, to thrustthelower

partofthebody forwardas a maledoes intercourse.
during

KufusorKufing-kufing is fellatio.FromCebuanokupa,goblet.The
cup is thesymbol ofthemouth;thereis also a gobletdesignon
Spanish tarotcards.

Lablusis thesexactdonebymalehomosexuals.Thisis a coined

word.

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Ladlad meanstoshowoff,tocruisefora sexpartner.FromCebuano
ladlad,to spread fordisplay,to cast a fishnet.

Laway effect in whichsaliva is used insteadofa

is anal intercourse
lubricant.FromCebuano laway,saliva.

Lechonde lecheis thesex actby threemale homosexualsinvolving

fellatioand anal intercourse.FromSpanishlechon, Cebuano litsun,
roastpig. The pig is roastedovera piton a spitthatrunsfrom
mouthto anus. Lecheis Spanishformilk.

Makabihahisa ikapitunglangitis to have sex,to have a sex part-

nerwho is verysatisfying.
FromTagalog,meaningtogo to seventh
heaven.

Malaca is to masturbate.FromSpanish.

Mangumpisalis fellatio.FromTagalogmangumpisal,
to confess.
Duringfellatio in
one partnermaykneel frontoftheother.

Mubag-idis toruba man'scrotch.FromCebuano,torubbackand

to brushagainst.
forth,

Musaka sa langitis tocheckintoa motelforsex. FromCebuano

langit,heaven,joy,happiness.

Paak is fellatio.FromCebuano paak,bite.

Palubutis sodomy.FromCebuanolubut,
anus,rump.

Piano is a swardwho "plays"(with)a partnerpriorto thesex act.

FromEnglish.

Ringthebell is tomasturbate.Froma popularsong.

Salsal to masturbate.FromTagalog.

Singinin Dinsin (S and D) is fellatioand anal intercourse.From

Englishsingingand dancing.A singeruses microphone inhand
while singing.

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 is fellatioand cunnilingus.FromEnglish.
Sixty-nine

Seventhheavenis to have an orgasm.FromEnglish.

S. T. is a shorttime,referring
to thesex act. FromEnglish.

Steadyis a partnerofa malehomosexual.FromEnglish.

Suckand Drink(S & D) meansswallowingofthesemenduring

fellatio.FromEnglish.

Supsupis fellatio.FromCebuanosupsup,suck,"sucksomeoneoff."

Tindugmeanserection.FromCebuanotindug,
stand,causesome-
thingto stand.

Tra-la-la is fellatio.FromEnglish.

Tsupa is fellatio.FromCebuanotsupa,to "suckoff"(coarse,slang).

Tsupunde tnatnay is fellatio.FromCebuanotsupun,

rubbernippleor
pacifier;mamayis a wet nurse.

UPA is anal intercourse.

FromCebuanoupa,matingoffowls.A
crudeword.

Urusis sodomy.FromCebuanourus,tosizzlewithsexurges.

is sodomy.Thisis an effeminized
Urusiting formofurus.

Warnwara is to cruisein searchofa partner.FromCebuanowarn,

to flailout.

W. N. is a wholenightofsex. FromEnglish.

Appearance,and Behavior
Characteristics,

Affectmeansbeautiful.FromEnglish.

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 termofgreeting
Agi orAguiis a friendly to anothermalehomosex-
ual. FromHongoagi,soft,effeminate,
to be withfemininemanners
and talkwitha femininevoice.

Asian feveris an uglymale. FromEnglish.On thewhole,

and
Occidentals(whites)are consideredphysicallyattractive
betterbuiltthanAsians.

Aswanglook is a male homosexualwithheavymake-up.Cebuano

aswang,meansa humanwithsupernatural powers,a witch.

and is used
Awardmeanstohitorpunchsomeone.FromEnglish,
with
ironically the oppositemeaning.

Bagtingreferstosomeoneable to scorehomosexually.
From
Cebuanobagting,tomakesomething ring;tomakecoinsringwhen
money is askedforsex.

Bangagmeanstobe highon drugsoralcohol. FromTaglish,and is

from the play The Boys in the Band.

Bangilsis someonehighon drugsso as tobe a willingsexpartner.

Cebuanobangil,to eat (or foodis taken)beforedrinking.

Baylirinais an excessively
demuremalehomosexual.From
Cebuanobaylirina, a dancer,a womanfondofdancing.

From
Beautycan meanuglyorhandsomedependingon intonation.
English.

Beautyway meansugly. FromEnglishand Cebuanowayor wala,

nothing.

Bigaunis a flirtatious
or coquettishmalehomosexual.From
Cebuano biga,greatsexualdesire;bigaun,oversexed.

BodybyFishermeansa superbmalephysique.FromEnglish.

Biyuis a handsomemale. FromEnglishbeauty.

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Biglangappearmeansa suddenappearance,an unexpected
person.
FromTagalogbigla,suddenor abrupt.

Bonggais an attractive, or popularmale homosexual.

eye-catching,
Thisis a coinedword.

B. V.meansto be busy. Taglishfromtheplay TheBoysin the

Band.

Chaptermeanssimpleton, ordinary,ugly. FromEnglish.Sincea

chapter is and
short onlypart ofa book, and incom-
itis ordinary
plete.This termcan be and
insulting connotes lownessofsocial
status.

Clydemeansugly. FromEnglish.Clydewas thenameofthe

orangutanin theClintEastwoodmovieEveryWhichWayBut
Loose.

Crossed overis to giveup a habit. FromTaglishplay TheBoysin

the Band.

Donna Summeris a malehomosexualwhoflirts oracts"likean

animalin heat/' AfterthepopularAmericansingerknownforher
sexysongs.

D. D. Q. standsfordinner,disco,and Queensland.Queenslandis a
hotelin Cebu thatfavorsmale homosexuals.

Drama is one who has everything, who demandsatten-

a superstar
also
tion; to
meaning put on an act, pretend, mislead.From
to to
English.

Escapades meansto go faraway,to fantasize.FromEnglish.

Fashionshow is a beautycontestinvolvingswards.

yearsis said whenone has waiteda longtimefora

Forty-eight
person.FromEnglish.

smallin size,amount,
Gamitismeanssmall. FromCebuanogamay,
andnumber.

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 one who
Gilkunois a malehomosexualwho actseffeminately,
looksmasculinebutfeelsfeminine.Oftenused sarcastically.Gil,
fromEnglishgirl,and kuno,fromCebuanokuno,tobelittle
someone'saccomplishments.

Ifikis a male who has a nicebodyand is immensely

satisfying.
FromEnglisheffect and Cebuano ipiktu,effect.

or coquettishhomosexual.FromCebuanoigat,
Igat is a flirtatious
flirtatious,lackingin femininemodesty.

Imbyirnais a personwitha bad temper.FromCebuanoimbyirnu,

winterand Spanishinvierno, winter.

Istarirayis a personwho standsoutin a crowd,a personwitha

superstarcomplex.FromCebuanoistaring, a starin films,impor-
tant.

Kabayungmulais an uglymalehomosexual.FromCebuanokabayu,
horse;kabayu-un,
horse-like; coloredhorse.
mula,a reddish-brown

Kalabaran meansfoolish.FromCebuano labad,headache,a

mentallydisturbedperson.

Kalat is a scatterbrain. act in

FromCebuanokalat,to be scattered,
a confusedmannerand Tagalogkalat,thingsscattered around.

Kalat ug dilimis whena swardgoes toa new place and beginsto

seek partners.FromTagalog kalat,scatteraroundand dilim,dark.

Kalag is a thinor skinnymale homosexual.FromCebuanokalag,

ghostor soul.

Kapmuksis a shamelessperson. FromTagalogkapal,thickand

mukha,face.

Kaya is a richhomosexual,one who boasts. FromTagalogkaya,

havingthemeansto spend
withinone's abilityand maykaya,
whateverone likes.

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Kiyitnimeansflowery, expensive.Taglishfromthe
extravagant,
play The Boys in the Band.

Kuritiskurumeansto playalong,keeplistening.A coinedword.

Lafangmeansfoodortoeat. Thisis a coinedword.

Lafanggirais a heavyeater,a glutton. A coinedword.

Langituntameanswe couldhavebeenlovers.FromCebuanolangit,
heaven,skyand unta,shouldnotbe thecase.

Lupadmeanstogo or toleave. FromCebuanolupad,toflyaway,go

somewhere.A humorousexpression.

Ma-ar meanswealthy,extravagant.Ma- is a Cebuanoprefix

meaningfullof;ar refersto the"r" in theEnglishwordrich.

Mag-kissis tobe on good termswithsomeone.FromEnglishkiss.

Magladlad na kapa is to comeoutofthecloset,admitone is a male

homosexual.FromCebuanoladlad,to unfoldor unfurland kapa,
cape.

Mama Rosa refersto theactofgiving.Froma Tagalogtelevision

program,Damayan,whichpublicizestheplightof theneedy.
Damaymeansjoiningor helping.

partners;From
Mangtasis a witch,clever,cunningat getting
Cebuano mangtas,cruel,fiercebeast.

the
sward. Fromthecharacter,
Maria Clara is a shyretiring
demureMaria Clara,in Rizal's novel.

Mataray is to be shrillor bitchy.Taglishfromtheplay TheBoys

in the Band.

itseemsand bau,a
Muragbau is a slowpoke.FromCebuanomurag,
turtle.
land or fresh-water

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Nakalistmeanstojotdowninone's memory.FromCebuanolista,a
list.

From
Nubisyadais a greenhorn,an amateur,a newprostitute.
Spanish noviciado,novice,apprentice.

butwaitingtobe asked. From

Pagit is a willingsex partner,
Cebuanoprefixpa-,meaningto,and Englishget.

P ampam is a malehomosexualwho actslikea prostitute.From

Cebuanopatnpam, a slangwordforprostitute.

Papil meansrole. FromCebuanopapil,a rolein a play.

Patutsadameansgimmick.Thisis a coinedword.

in
is an uglyperson.Froman uglychararcter
Prucupiuorprucupian
comicmagazines.

Pugiis handsome.FromCebuanopugi;Tagalogpogi,good-looking
man.

Pulubisi mamangayonis one swardjokingwithanotherswardfor

payingexcessivelyforsex. Thisis a Tagalogexpressionthattrans-
latesliterally"Motheris poor now/'

Putachingis a bitch.FromCebuanoputa,whore.Thisis a coarse

word.

to findoutaboutanother.From
Researchis one swardtrying
English.

R. H. na R. H. meansreallyhandsomeor reallyhard. Thisis a

coinedword.

Rita Gomez is a haughtymalehomosexual.She is a popular

Philippinemovie star.

Santa Cruzanmeansto actdecently.Thisis thenameofa Filipino

religiousfestival.

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Staris one who standsoutamongmalehomosexuals;also,a five
peso bill. A starhas fivepointsor skills. FromEnglish.

stupid,lackingin
meanscrazy.FromCebuanokwanggul,
Syunggul
commonsense.

Talbogis whena deal fallsthrough;to upstage,to overshadow.

FromTagalogtalbog,
rebounding, bouncing.

Ta-la-la meanshighsociety. FromtheBritishphrasela-de-da.

T. L. na T. L. meansto be sexuallyattractive, "hot"fora male.

Froma popularsongwiththetitle"TrueLove." Thissongwas
bannedin public. It is also said to be relatedto Tagalogtalagang
libog,tobe hotforsomeone.

Tubaratsmeansverycheap. FromCebuanobaratu,
a low price,
withthe syllablesjuggled.

T. Y.meansno charge,free.FromEnglishthankyou.

Typeis to likesomeone;an idealboyfriend.FromEnglish.

Wa dunggagidakdakko sa piyeris a worn-outorover-usedmale

homosexual.FromCebuanowa,none,and dakdak, to falldownon
one'srump.Thisis an expression
used toteasean old homosexual.

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 Bibliography

Anonymous
n.d. 11.
"Interviewwith Lorenzo/' HaribolPhilippines

Anonymous
n.d. "Philippines- Homosexual Paradise." Haribol Philip-
pines6-9.

Aquino,Rosario
1969 "The SociologicalAspectof Homosexuality."University
of
Santo Tomas Journalof Education(Oct-Dec. 20-25).

Doreen
Fernandez,
1981 "The Gay,"in BeingFilipino.Manila: GCF Books.

Gamboa,Victorand HenryJ.Feenstra
1969 "DeviantStereotypes:Call Girls,Male Homosexuals,and
Lesbians." PhilippineSociologicalReview16: 136-148.

Hart,Donn V.
1968 "Homosexualityand Transvestismin thePhilippines:The
Cebuano Bayut and Lakin-on" BehaviorScienceNotes2:
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Hayes,Joseph
1076 "Gayspeak." Quarterly ofSpeech62: 256-266.
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Lerman,P.
1967 "Argot,SymbolicDeviance and Subculture." American
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Montiero,Bernie
1979 "A Phenomenological Analysison theGay Crowd." M.A.
thesis,Ateneode Manila.

Murray,StephenG.
1979 "The Artof Gay Insults." Anthropological 21: 1-
Linguistics
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1980 "Lexical and InstitutionalElaboration: The 'Species
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1987 Male Homosexualityin Central and South America.

Edited by StephenO. Murray. New York: GAI Saber
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Pontenilla,Maria S.
1979 "An Ethnographic Study of the Overt Bayots, Male
Homosexuals in Dumaguete City, Philippines." M.A.
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Reyes,JoseJavier
1977 "Swardspeak: A Preliminary Study." Pintig-isip:
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Samsin,Laura L.
1979 "An Swards an Showiz" [Swardspeakin Showbusiness].
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Secrest,Lee and Lois Flores

1967 "Homosexualityin the Philippinesand the UnitedStates:
The Handwritingon the Wall." AmericanJournalof
Sociology79: 3-12.

Whitam,Frederick
1983 "CulturallyInvariablePropertiesof Male Homosexuality:
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Wolff,John
1972 A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan. 2 vols. Southeast Asia
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