Product Code Database
Swardspeak (also known as salitang bakla (lit. 'gay speak') or "gay lingo") or Bekinese, is an argot or cant slang derived from Taglish (Tagalog-English code-switching) and used by a number of LGBT community in the Philippines. (2025). 9781405175814, Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 9781405175814
Swardspeak as a language is constantly changing, with old phrases becoming obsolete and new phrases frequently entering everyday usage, reflecting changes in their culture and also maintaining exclusivity. The dynamic nature of the language refuses to cement itself in a single culture and allows for more freedom of expression among its speakers. Words and phrases can be created to react to popular trends and create alternatives to a strictly defined lifestyle. By these characteristics, swardspeak creates a dissident group without any ties to geographical, linguistic, or cultural restrictions, allowing its speakers to shape the language as they see fit, with relation to current times. In this way, the language is not only "mobile" and part of a larger community, but also open to more specific or local meanings and interpretations.
| Jowa (variant diminutive: Jowabelle/Jowabels) | Asawa (spouse, usually female) | Tagalog language, Cebuano language, Hiligaynon |
| Gora (variant diminutive: Gorabelle/Gorabels) | to go (to a place) | English |
| Shupatembang, Shupated, Jupiter | Kapatíd (sibling) | Tagalog |
| Shunga | Tangá (idiot) | Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon |
| Julalay | Alalay (assistant) | Tagalog |
| Kyota | Batà (child) | Tagalog |
| Nyorts | Shorts | English language |
| Nyormville | FarmVille | English |
| Kyoho | Mabahò (stinking) | Tagalog |
| Jotis (a very small amount) | Jutay (a small amount) | Cebuano language, Hiligaynon |
| Jubis (very fat) | obese | English |
| Jomba | fat | English |
| Taroosh (very bitchy) | Taray (bitchy) | Tagalog |
| Baboosh (Parting phrase) | Babay/Bye-bye | Philippine English |
| Itech (this) | Itó (this) | Tagalog |
| Sinetch (who) | Sinó (who) | Tagalog |
| Anech? (what, usually exclamatory) | Anó? (what) | Tagalog |
| Haller/Heller | Hello | English |
| Kalurkey | Kaloka (insanely entertaining, maddening, crazy) | Tagalog (from Spanish loca) |
| Gander | Gandá (beautiful) | Tagalog |
| Walley | Walâ (nothing) | Tagalog |
| Ilij (no, not) | Dili (no, not) | Cebuano |
| Bayu (lover, boyfriend) | Uyab (lover) | Cebuano |
| Nial (bad, unpleasant) | Lain (bad, unpleasant) | Cebuano, Hiligaynon |
| Crayola (to cry, to be sad) | Cry | English |
| Antibiotic (obnoxious, unpleasant) | Antipátika (obnoxious, unpleasant) | Tagalog (from Spanish language antipática) |
| Liberty (free) | Libre (free) | Tagalog (from Spanish libre) |
| Career/Karír ('to take seriously', in the sense of "they turned it into their career", used as a verb, e.g. karirin, "to career", kinareer) | Career | English |
| Filet-O-Fish (to be attracted to someone) | Feel (to sympathize) | English |
| Kapé / Capuccino / Coffeemate (to be realistic) | 'Wake up and smell the coffee.' (a humorous corruption of 'Wake up and smell the roses') | Philippine English |
| Thundercats (old, or the elderly, particularly old gay men) | Matandà (old) | Tagalog |
| Chiminey Cricket (housemaid) | Deliberate corruption of Jiminy Cricket, Chimáy (Tagalog slang for maid) | Tagalog |
| Warla (war, fight, quarrel) | War | English |
| Nota (penis) | Description as musical note | Tagalog |
| Pocahontas (prostitute) | Pokpok (slang for 'prostitute') | Tagalog |
| Pagoda Cold Wave Lotion (tired, exhausted) | A locally available brand of cold wave lotion for setting , and pagód (tired, exhausted) | Tagalog |
| Mudra (mother, also used to refer to female friends with children) | Madre (mother) | Spanish language, Portuguese |
| Pudra (father, also used to refer to male friends with children) | Padre (father) | Spanish language, Portuguese |
| Hammer (prostitute) | Pokpok (slang for 'prostitute), Pokpok (onomatopoeic Tagalog word 'to pound', 'to hammer') | Tagalog, English |
| Biyuti/Beyooti (beautiful, pretty) | Beauty, word play of Cebuano bayot ('gay') | English, Cebuano |
| Silahis (bisexual male, often flamboyant) | Silahis (sunbeam, ray) | Tagalog |
| Boyband (fat kid) | A pun on Tagalog baboy ('pig') | Tagalog, English |
| G.I. Joe (A foreign lover, particularly American people) | Acronym for 'Gentleman Idiot' | English |
| Opposition Party (a Party with a lot of expected problems) | Pun on political opposition | English |
| Egyptian Airlines (jeepney) | jeepney, jeep (or dyip in Tagalog) | English |
| Geisha (he is gay) | gay siya | English, Tagalog |
| Julie Andrew (to be caught cheating) | Hulì (Tagalog, 'to be caught') | 'Julie' rhymes with 'Huli', and references the British actress Julie Andrews |
| Gelli de Belén (jealous) | Jealous | Gelli de Belen |
| Winnie Cordero (to win, have won) | Win | Winnie Cordero |
| Luz Valdez (to lose, have lost) | Lose | Luz Valdez |
| Toy Story (toy, or any other kind of plaything) | toy | Toy Story |
| Julanis Morissette (raining) | ulan (Tagalog, 'rain') | Alanis Morissette |
| Jinit Jackson (hot weather) | init (Tagalog, 'hot') | Janet Jackson |
| Tommy Lee Jones / Tom Jones (hungry) | Tom-guts (Tagalog syllable switching slang for gutóm, hungry) | Tommy Lee Jones, Tom Jones |
| Stress Drilon (stress) | stress | Ces Drilon |
| Haggardo Versoza (haggard) | haggard (exhausted, tired) | Gardo Versoza |
| X-Men (formerly appearing to be heterosexual, coming out, especially from being hypermasculinity to effeminate) | 'Ex-man' | X-Men |
| Fayatollah Kumenis (thin) | Payát (Tagalog, 'thin') | Ayatollah Khomeini |
| Barbra Streisand (to be rejected bluntly, blocked) | Bará (Tagalog, 'to block', including verbally) | Barbra Streisand |
| Muriah Carrey (cheap) | Mura (Tagalog, 'cheap') | Mariah Carey |
| Lupita Kashiwahara (cruel) | Lupít (Tagalog, 'cruel') | Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara (A Filipina film and television director, and sister of assassinated Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.) |
| Carmi Martin (karma) | Karma | Carmi Martin |
| Rita Gómez (irritating, annoying) | Nakaka-iritá (Tagalog, 'irritating') | Rita Gomez |
| Mahalia Jackson (expensive) | Mahál (Tagalog 'expensive', 'precious', 'dear') | Mahalia Jackson |
| Anaconda (traitor, to betray) | Ahas (Tagalog slang, 'to betray', literally 'snake') | Anaconda (film) |
| Badinger Z (homosexual) | Badíng (Tagalog derogatory slang 'homosexual') | Mazinger Z (anime) |
| Taxina Hong Kingston (to wait for a taxicab) | Taxi | Maxine Hong Kingston |
| Noël Coward (No) | No | Noël Coward |
| Oprah Winfrey (promise) | Promise | Oprah Winfrey |
| Sharon Cuneta (yes, sure) | Sure | Sharon Cuneta |
| Mag-Sharon (To Sharon) | Take home leftover food from parties. Derived from the lines "Balutin mo ako sa liwanag ng iyong pagmamahal" (Wrap me in the light of your love) of Cuneta's single Bituing Walang Ningning. | Sharon Cuneta |
| Jesus Christ Superstar | Resurrection | Jesus Christ Superstar |
| Optimus Prime (Fashion makeover, to change into more fashionable clothing) | Transformation | Optimus Prime |
| Churchill (high society) | Sosyál | Winston Churchill |
| Drama (also means the adjective 'dramatic') | Melodrama, exaggeration, drama queen | English |
| Carry/Keri | To carry oneself, manageable | English |
| Siete Pecados | Nosy, gossipmonger | Spanish, 'seven sins' |
| Puñeta (also spelt punyeta) | General profanity, roughly equivalent to 'fuck' | Spanish slang, with varying degrees of perceived obscenity. Literally 'in a fist'. |
| Chiquito | Small | Spanish, 'small' |
| Coño (also spelt 'konyo') | High society, especially affluent socialites who speak Taglish exclusively | Spanish slang, 'vagina' |
| Otoko | Manly man | Japanese, 男 ( otoko) |
| Berru | Beer | Japanese, ビール ( bīru) |
| Watashi | Me, I | Japanese, 私 ( watashi) |
| Ako ay may lobo Lumipád sa langit Di ko na nakità Pumutók na palá Sayang lang ang pera, Pinambilí ng lobo Sa pagkain sana, Nabusóg pa ako. | Aketch ai may lobing Flylalou sa heaven Witchels ko na nasightness Jumutók lang pala Sayang lang ang anda Pinang buysung ng lobing Kung lafangertz sana Nabusóg pa aketch | I had a balloon It flew up to the sky I couldn't see it anymore Didn't it had popped Money was just a waste Buying the balloon Had I bought food instead At least I would have been full |
| Bahay kubò, kahit muntî Ang halaman doón, Ay sari-sarì Singkamás, at talóng, Sigarilyas at manî Sitaw, bataw, patani Kundól, patola, upo’t kalabasa At saka meron pa Labanós, mustasa Sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya Sa paligid-ligid Ay puno ng lingá | Valer kuberch, kahit jutey Ang julamantrax denchi, Ay anek-anek. Nyongkamas at nutring, Nyogarilyas at kipay. Nyipay, nyotaw, jutani. Kundol, fyotola, kyupot jolabastrax At mega join-join pa Jobanos, nyustasa, Nyubuyak, nyomatis, nyowang at luyax And around the keme Ay fulnes ng linga. | Nipa hut, though it be small The plants it houses Are sundry and all Jicama and eggplant, Winged bean and peanut String bean, hyacinth bean, lima bean. Wax gourd, luffa, calabash and Cucurbita, And then there is also white radish, mustard greens, Onion, tomato, Garlic, and ginger And all around Are . |
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