gay

Etymology 1

From Middle English gay, from Old French gai (“joyful, laughing, merry”), usually thought to be a borrowing of Old Occitan gai (“impetuous, lively”), from Gothic *𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌴𐌹𐍃 (*gaheis, “impetuous”), merging with earlier Old French jai ("merry"; see jay), from Frankish *gāhi; both from Proto-Germanic *ganhuz, *ganhwaz (“sudden”). This is possibly derived from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ- (“to stride, step”), from *ǵʰēy- (“to go”), but Kroonen rejects this derivation and treats the Germanic word as having no known etymology. cognates and sense derivation Cognate with Dutch gauw (“fast, quickly”), Westphalian Low German gau, gai (“fast, quick”), German jäh (“abrupt, sudden”). Anatoly Liberman, following Frank Chance and Harri Meier, believes Old French gai was instead a native development from Latin vagus (“wandering, inconstant, flighty”), with *[w] > [g] as in French gaine. The sense of homosexual (first recorded no later than 1937 by Cary Grant in the film Bringing Up Baby, and possibly earlier in 1922 in the poem "Miss Furr and Miss Skeene" by Gertrude Stein) was shortened from earlier gay cat ("homosexual boy") in underworld and prison slang, itself first attested about 1935, but used earlier for a young tramp or hobo attached to an older one. Pejorative usage is probably due to hostility towards homosexuality. The sense of ‘upright’, used in reference to a dog’s tail, probably derives from the ‘happy’ sense of the word.

adj

1. Homosexual:
   1. (of a person) Possessing sexual and/or romantic attraction towards people one perceives to be the same sex or gender as oneself.
      Cliff is gay, but his twin brother is straight.
      He was not happy at the farm and went to a Western city where he associated with a homosexual crowd, being "gay," and wearing female clothes and makeup. 1947, Rorschach Research Exchange and Journal of Projective Techniqueshttp://books.google.com/books?id=vloZAAAAIAAJ, page 240
      She couldn't even gain access from a family friend whose name was on the list, nor could she use her feminine charms to turn on the staff member, who revealed he was gay and was more impressed seeing Billy and Chuck enter the building. 2003, Michael McAvennie, The World Wrestling Entertainment Yearbook
      Of the dozen or so surviving articles, squibs, and letters to the editor, the most remarkable appeared in the Whip and Satirist’s February 12, 1842, issue, and disclosed the existence of a cabal of gay men in New York's otherwise wholesome nightscape of brothels and riots. Moreover it identified the spider who minced so delicately along the wide-flung strands of the sodomitical web. "There is not one so degraded as this Captain Collins, the King of the Sodomites." He was a foreigner, an Englishman, in the long tradition of blaming homosexuality on the influence of aliens. Among the syndicate of perverts, the writer announced, "we find no Americans as yet—they are all Englishmen or French" (the English called homosexuality the French vice and the French the English vice; for the Whip it was the French and English vice). 2005, Mark Caldwell, New York Night, page 133
      The two failed attempts to receive the necessary access to medicalized transition procedures by the renowned FTM activist Lou Sullivan—a gay man who refused to comply with the imperative that transsexual men must desire women— […] 2007, Kevin P. Murphy, Jason Ruiz, David Serlin, Queer Futures, Radical History Review (Duke University Press), page 58
      Her adoptive mother fainted when Gail told her she was gay. 2009, Betty Jean Lifton, Lost & Found: the Adoption Experience, page 67
   2. (strictly) Describing a homosexual man.
      gay and lesbian people
   3. (of an animal, by extension) Tending to partner or mate with other individuals of the same sex.
      In fact, as several letter writers to the New York Times pointed out in their response to the article, the disjuncture between these two popularized penguins shows how radically separated from each other are communities of gay people and communities of right-wing religious conservatives: if the Christian fundamentalists had looked up "gay penguins" or even "penguins" on the Internet, they would have encountered several gay penguin sites, including the story of Roy and Silo, the Central Park Zoo gay penguin couple about whom a children's book was written; the saga of the gay penguin community at a German zoo; and the campaign of Gay Penguin for President (whose slogan was "George W. Bush talks the talk, but Gay Penguin walks the walk.") 2010, Noėl Sturgeon, Environmentalism in Popular Culture: Gender, Race, Sexuality, and the Politics of the Natural, page 128
   4. (of a romantic or sexual act or relationship) Between two or more persons perceived to be of the same sex or gender as each other.
      Although the number of gay weddings has increased significantly, many gay and lesbian couples — like many straight couples — are not interested in getting married.
      gay marriage
      gay sex
   5. (colloquial) Not heterosexual, or not cisgender: homosexual, bisexual, asexual, transgender, etc.
      Coordinate term: LGBTQ
   6. (of an institution or group) Intended for gay people, especially gay men.
      She professes an undying love for gay bars and gay movies, and even admits to having watched gay porn.
      Gays meet each other in special-interest social groups—gay softball leagues, gay bike clubs, gay gymnasia, gay activist political organizations, the Gay Academic Union (an organization for gay teachers, scholars and students), gay university student clubs and so on. 1977, Charles Silverstein, Edmund White, The Joy of Gay Sex, New York: Crown Publishers, page 162
      He might well have suspected Cheek was a gay bar without seeing any of its patrons, simply because it was in a neighborhood where most of the bars were gay, and because you couldn't see in the windows. 2003, Lawrence Block, Small Town, page 269
      Turn left into chilled-out Old Compton St and try to guess which bars are gay. Even the straight bars in Soho are quite gay, so it's often a bit hard to tell. 2004, Martin Hughes, Sarah Johnstone, Tom Masters, London, page 208
      Again I was to masturbate into a cup and again the majority of the porn was gay. 2010, Jay Mohr, No Wonder My Parents Drank: Tales from a Stand-Up Dad, page 252
   7. (slang, with for) Homosexually in love with someone.
      […] the pirates, who are obviously totally gay for each other […] December 6 2014, Ej Dickson, “The 7 worst things about NBC's "Peter Pan Live!"”, in Salon.com
      Being gay for Brad, even a teensy bit, is at the very least being able to imagine the potential for queerness. In a sense, like the recent popular and critical furor over men who are gay-for-pay, being gay for Brad is what Jeffrey Escoffier defines as "situational homosexuality," or other forms of man-on-man behavior […] In other words, rather than worry over whether or not men who are queer for Brad can easily be labeled as straight or gay, […] 2014, Christopher Schaberg, Robert Bennett, Deconstructing Brad Pitt, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, page 211
      […] it’s now pretty popular among progressives to paint the US and Russian presidents as being gay for each other. May 2 2017, German Lopez, “Stephen Colbert tried to insult Donald Trump. He made a homophobic comment instead.”, in Vox
   8. (slang, humorous, with for) Infatuated with something, aligning with homosexual stereotypes.
      Vanilla straight guy here. […] Is it socially acceptable for me to good-naturedly say, "I'm totally gay for musical theater"? December 31 2014, Dan Savage, anonymous quotee, “Savage Love”, in The Stranger
   9. In accordance with stereotypes of homosexual people:
      1. (loosely, of appearance or behavior) Being in accordance with stereotypes of gay people, especially gay men.
      2. (loosely, of a person, especially a man) Exhibiting appearance or behavior that accords with stereotypes of gay people, especially gay men.
         This incident has become a source of much discussion, and the jury is still out on who is more gay: the guy who touched a dick or the guy who let a guy touch his dick. a. 2005, Jason Christopher Hartley, “October 23, 2004: This Is My Weapon, This Is My Gerber”, in Just Another Soldier: A Year on the Ground in Iraq, HarperCollins, published 2005, page 25
2. A pejorative:
   1. (slang, derogatory) Effeminate or flamboyant in behavior.
   2. (slang, derogatory) Used to express dislike: lame, uncool, stupid, burdensome, contemptible, generally bad.
      This game is gay; let’s play a different one.
      Dolph: "Oh, man! You kissed a girl!" Jimbo: "That is so gay!" 1996, Lisa's Date With Density, The Simpsons (cartoon television series). Upon discovering Nelson kissing Lisa
3. (dated) Happy, joyful, and lively.
   The Gay Science
   Never was there a more copious Fancy or greater reach of Wit, than what appears in Dr. Donne; nothing can be more gallant or gentile than the poems of Mr. Waller; nothing more gay or ſprightly than thoſe of Sir John Suckling; and nothing fuller of Variety and Learning than Mr. Cowley’s. c. 1692, William Walch, preface to Letters and Poems, Amorous and Gallant, in John Dryden, The Fourth Part of Miſcellany Poems, Jacob Tonson (publisher, 1716), page 338
   Miss Phyllis Morgan, as the hapless heroine dressed in the shabbiest of clothes, appears in the midst of a gay and giddy throng; she apostrophises all and sundry there, including the villain, and has a magnificent scene which always brings down the house, and nightly adds to her histrionic laurels. 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 2, in The Affair at the Novelty Theatre
   The Gay Divorcee. 1934, George Marion Jr. et al., (title)
   To think that only yesterday / I was cheerful, bright and gay 1972, Gilbert O'Sullivan (lyrics and music), “Alone Again (Naturally)”, in Back to Front
   The excitement engendered by the decision to die perked him right up; he had not felt so gay for ages. 1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber, published 1992, page 252
4. (dated) Quick, fast.
   I went a gay shack, / For it started to rain. 1873, Gwordie Greenup, Yance a Year, section 25
   We launched our canoe and were off at a gay clip for Hackettstown, where Mart had a married sister, and we were figuring on big eats. 1918, Hunter-trader-trapper, page 36
   "[…] there is no one more competent to make it fly at a gay pace than myself. A prince of the royal blood couldn't go at a faster pace than I have been going during these last three weeks! Ha, ha, ha!" In a moment he was kneeling before the safe. 2016, Laura Jean Libbey, Mischievous Maid Faynie, Library of Alexandria
   We shot along Sunset Boulevard at a gay pace, and squealed a turn down Vine Street with never a jitterbug pedestrian to make the driving interesting. 2019, Lawrence Lariar, He Died Laughing, Open Road Media
5. (dated) Festive, bright, or colourful.
   Pennsylvania Dutch include the plain folk and the gay folk.
   Don we now our gay apparel. 1881, J. P. McCaskey (editor), “Deck the Hall”, Franklin Square Song Collection, number 1, Harper & Brothers (New York), page 120
   1944, Ralph Blane, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, Meet Me in St. Louis, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Make the Yule-tide gay / From now on our troubles will be miles away
   Rhos station had been cleaned up for the occasion, and its single platform was gay with flags. 1946 May and June, “Notes and News: Special Services for the Welsh National Eisteddfod”, in Railway Magazine, page 188
6. (obsolete) Sexually promiscuous (of any gender), (sometimes particularly) engaged in prostitution.
   As our heroes passed along the Strand, they were accosted by a hundred gay ladies, who asked them if they were good-natured. "Devil take me!" exclaimed Echo, "if I know which way my ship heads; but there is not a girl in the Strand that I would touch with my gloves on." 1806 (edition of 1815), John Davis, The Post-Captain, page 150
   Prince Borghese was what is called a "gay, dissipated man"—that is to say, a powerful person leading a debauched and infamous life. 1856, Bayle St. John, The Subalpine kingdom: or, Experiences and studies in Savoy, Piedmont, and Genoa, volume 2, page 158
   […] it is possible for people to be diseased without being prostitutes or gay women; it is possible for people years ago to have spent a gay life and to have not got rid of their disease, or they may have become diseased by their husbands or lovers. 1879, Great Britain, Reports from committees, House of Commons, page 61
   Gay (common), loose, dissipated; a "gay woman" or "gay girl," a prostitute. "All gay," vide ALL GAY. 1889, Albert Barrère, Charles Godfrey Leland, A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant: Embracing English, American, and Anglo-Indian Slang, Pidgin English, Tinker's Jargon and Other Irregular Phraseology, volume 1, page 399
   She imprudently forms the acquaintance of a "gay girl" living in the same street. 1898, John Mackinnon Robertson, G. Aston Singer, “The Social Evil Problem”, in The University magazine and free review: a monthly magazine, volume 9, page 308
   "As nothing could be more gay, i.e., debauched, than Zeno's court, so the ladies of gay disposition had great sway in it; particularly one, whose name was Fausta, who, though not extremely handsome, was by her wit and sprightliness very agreeable to the emperor. 1899, Henry Fielding, edited by Edmund Gosse, The works of Henry Fielding with an introduction, volume 11, page 290
   "It's an odd thing," he observed, "that men like Crutchley, with quantities of large white teeth, are practically always gay Lotharios." 1937, Dorothy L. Sayers, Busman's Honeymoon, page 357
   Most of them liked the work because it was gay and because they were able to earn more than other girls who worked in offices or city stores. They apparently remain taxi-dancers for only about a year or two[.] 1946, George Johnston, Skyscrapers in the Mist, page 88
7. (of a dog's tail) Upright or curved over the back.
   While the dog in concentrating at a given task, the tail is carried low and used for balance. In excitement it may rise level with the back. A “gay” tail is a fault. 1997, Michael DeVine, Border Collies
   By now Nora had left my side and was grappling with Maisie, trying to hold her still long enough to examine her bit. “You haven’t trained her well,” she muttered to Eli. “Oh, she’s got a gay tail!” Eli laughed. “A gay tail? What does that mean?” “It curls upward.” Nona let Maisie go. “Still, you never intended her to be a show dog,” she added. brushing off her skirt as she made for the house. 2000, David Leavitt, Martin Bauman; or, a Sure Thing
8. (Scotland, Northern England, possibly obsolete) Considerable, great, large in number, size, or degree. In this sense, also in the variant gey.
   As his reply was rather characteristic, I will give it : Many of them come a gay bit off. 1832, George Pearson, Evenings by Eden-side: Or, Essays and Poems, page 67
   Thou 's wantin' a sweetheart? Thou 's had a gay few! An' thou 's cheatit them, […] 1872, William Cullen Bryant, A Library of Poetry and Song, page 106
   A gay deal different to what I is noo. 1876 (edition; original 1871), Richardson, Talk 1
   There were a gay bit of lace on it. 1881, Dixon, Craven Dales
   T'country-side was rid on him for a gay while. 1881, Edwin Waugh, Tufts of Heather, I. 106
   "He has a gay bit of gumption in him, has Ray. It'll be no kitten play to catch hold on him, and they know that they do." The emphasis was accompanied by a lowered tone, and a sidelong motion of the head towards a doorway […] 1895, Sir Hall Caine, The Shadow of a Crime: A Cumbrian Romance, page 131
   "It's a gay bit off, though." "Trot on!" retorted Mr. Jorrocks anxiously, spurring Arterxerxes vehemently, an insult that the animal resented by a duck of his head and a hoist of his heels. Bump, bump, trot, trot, squash, splash, swosh, they went ... 1903, Robert Smith Surtees, Handley Cross, New York: D. Appleton, page 431

noun

1. (now chiefly in the plural) A homosexual, especially a male homosexual.
   Coordinate term: lesbian
   [headline] N.Y. Gays: Will the Spark Die? 1969, “N.Y. Gays: Will the Spark Die?”, in The Advocate
   "Same-sex dancing, as we call it, is quite legal," a gay named Lew Todd, who was one of the spokesmen, spoke up. 1974, Earl Wilson, Show Business Laid Bare
   Yet that does not mean that the issues, concerns and attitudes of gays and lesbians in the workplace are not important. 2003, Marilyn J. Davidson, Sandra L. Fielden, Individual Diversity and Psychology in Organizations, page 73
   Older gays and lesbians often relegate themselves to separate and unequal meeting places. 2004, Betty Berzon, Permanent Partners: Building Gay & Lesbian Relationships That Last, page 20
   On June 28, 1970, young gays in the city held a “Gay-in” in Golden Gate Park, and Gay Sunshine ran a photo of some of the participants in their inaugural issue […] 2012, Todd J. Ormsbee, The Meaning of Gay, page 313
2. (dialectal, obsolete) Something which is bright or colorful, such as a picture or a flower.
   At a stall soon Mary bote / A hume-book full ov gays. 1839, Charles Clark, John Noakes and Mary Styles, st. 157
   I had no books to read, but plenty of gays to look at. 1892, P. H. Emerson, A Son of the Fens, page 73
   ‘Can't you mow the aftermath in the churchyard before Sunday?’ ‘Not time enough, sir, but I'll cut off they gays.’ 1893, Cozens-Hardy, Broad Nrf., page 38
   There's a good child; look at the gays, and keep quiet. a. 1900, W. R. Eaton of Norfolk, quoted in 1900, Joseph Wright, The English Dialect Dictionary
3. (obsolete) An ornament, a knick-knack.
   If however the stranger be suspected of “sailing under false colours," when they are all in familiar chat about nothing in particular, “Cousin Jacky” will take occasion to say to the new chum, “My dear; ded 'e ever see a duck clunk a gay?" […] no more deceived by him than a duck can be made to clunk (swallow) a gay (fragment of broken crockery). 1906, Cornish Notes & Queries: (first Series) (Cornish Telegraph, Peter Penn), page 132

verb

1. (transitive, dated, uncommon) To make happy or cheerful.
   SAYING GOOD-BYE (song) WE are always saying / "Good-bye, good-bye! / In work, in playing, / In gloom, in gaying […] 1922, Thomas Hardy, Late lyrics and earlier: with many other verses, page 119
   Gaying Things Up For Christmas. JESSIE TODD, Laboratory School, University of Chicago. EVERY schoolroom in America is gayed up for Christmas. 1952, American Childhood, volume 38, page 2
2. (transitive, uncommon) To cause (something, e.g. AIDS) to be associated with homosexual people.

adv

1. (Scotland, Northern England) Considerably, very.
   And, tho' his guts ware lank and toom, / They're twice as big's this gay big room. 1833, John Sim Sands, Poems on Various Subjects, page 115
   Now, to end my story, if o' t' village beauties wad git t' religion that good auld parson Jenkins recommends, it wad gay sharply mak' t' dirty women clean, […] 1869, Joseph Carr, Sketches of village life, by “Eavesdropper”, page 60
   […] an' be t' Silver Cwove, an' than throo t' Pillar, an' a gay rough bit o' grund it is! 1875, Dickinson, Cumbriana; Or, Fragments of Cumbrian Life, page 8
   When a fellah com' in 'at was gay free wid spendin. 1886, Thomas Farrall, Betty Wilson's Cummerland Teals, section 42
   She'll mak naw moor mischeef neets—she's gay quiet now! 1892-3, Mrs. Humphry Ward, The History of David Grieve, volume I, page 19

Etymology 2

From Pitman kay, which it is derived from graphically, and the sound it represents. The traditional name gee was considered inappropriate, as the Pitman letter never has the sound of that name.

noun

1. The letter —, which stands for the sound /ɡ/, in Pitman shorthand.