Gay deceivers
gay deceivernoun
There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun gay deceiver. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in latest written English
| 1770 | 0.0068 |
| 1780 | 0.0078 |
| 1790 | 0.012 |
| 1800 | 0.014 |
| 1810 | 0.016 |
| 1820 | 0.019 |
| 1830 | 0.023 |
| 1840 | 0.024 |
| 1850 | 0.026 |
| 1860 | 0.025 |
| 1870 | 0.024 |
| 1880 | 0.023 |
| 1890 | 0.022 |
| 1900 | 0.02 |
| 1910 | 0.019 |
| 1920 | 0.016 |
| 1930 | 0.015 |
| 1940 | 0.012 |
| 1950 | 0.0097 |
| 1960 | 0.0082 |
| 1970 | 0.0066 |
| 1980 | 0.0061 |
| 1990 | 0.0058 |
| 2000 | 0.0054 |
| 2010 | 0.0054 |
Earliest known use
early 1700s
The earliest known apply of the noun gay deceiver is in the premature 1700s.
OED's earliest evidence for gay deceiver is from 1710, in the writing of Charles Johnson, playwright and poet.
Nearby entries
- gay-bash, v.1987–
- gay-basher, n.1975–
- gay-bashing, n.1977–
- gaybine, n.1842–66
- gay blade, n.1750–
- gay boy, n.1835–
- gayby boom, n.1990–
- gay kitten, n.1893–
- gaydar, n.1986–
- Gay Time, n.1970–
- gay deceiver, n.1710–
- gaydi
Gay deceivers
Leo_Bloom1
American (only?) slang, 1930’s (only?) for pads women put in their bras to simulate larger breasts. Any help?
Source: Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie.
(FWIW, saw last night in breathtaking performance in NYC.)
Exapno_Mapcase2
I give up. What’s the question here?
If you’re asking whether Williams coined the phrase, the answer is no. The Glass Menagerie is 1944; the phrase was used in 1942.
Leo_Bloom3
Yes, the history of the expression.
Leo_Bloom4
Yes, the history. Thanks for the cite.
So, a new question: is Williams guilty of an anachronism? The play is position in Winter/Fall 1937.
Exapno_Mapcase5
Not necessarily. Many phrases are in use lengthy before they are written down in a venue that is preserved.
geezer16
I’m with Expano – would that which deceives a homosexual also deceive a straight ? ?
kanicbird7
geezer1:I’m with Expano – would that which deceives a queer also deceive a straight ? ?
I think it was a different use of the designation ‘gay’, meaning happy, cheerful, unrelated to homosexuality. At least that’s what I’ve heard when the Flintstones had a ‘gay antique time’, but who really knows what w
.
.