198. Queer Arab Glossary

The Allusionist

Helen Zaltzman

Arts, Education, Words, Linguistics, History, Entertainment, Helen Zaltzman, Etymology, Society & Culture

4.7 • 3.8K Ratings

🗓️ 12 August 2024

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Since 2019, Marwan Kaabour has been collecting Arabic slang words used by and about queer people, first for the online community Takweer, and now the newly published Queer Arab Glossary. "When researching for this book, I discovered so much of the sociopolitical, cultural, linguistic, and historical layers that make up the words," he says. He also discovered quite a lot about frying, white beans and worms (metaphorical ones).

Find the episode's transcript, plus more information and links to Marwan's work, at theallusionist.org/queerarabglossary.

NEWSLUSIONIST:

The new Allusionist live show Souvenirs is going on tour in the UK in August and September! That’s so soon! Rush to theallusionist.org/events for tickets and dates.

And if you fancy concocting a quiz question for the imminent 200th episode, go to theallusionist.org/quiz to submit it; your deadline is 6 September 2024.

To help fund this independent podcast, take yourself to theallusionist.org/donate and become a member of the Allusioverse. You get regular livestreams with me and my collection of reference books, inside scoops into the making of this show, watchalong parties, and the company of your fellow Allusionauts in our delightful Discord community.

This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, with music and editorial assistance from Martin Austwick of palebirdmusic.com.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the allusionist in which I, Helen Zaltzman, regret trying to assemble language without looking at the instructions.
0:11.0	So much has happened since we last convened. Sad stuff out the way first. My father-in-law died. That really sucks.
0:18.0	Our IP, our beloved Santa Dave. In happier news, the Illusionist Live Tour of the UK starts very, very soon, so come to see our joyous new show, souvenirs. Stories never heard before on the podcast. Key words include legally blonde, frenemics,
0:38.0	fonts, the doomsday book and donkeys. Can you construct the show from these terms? Come along to find out. Dates and
0:48.6	links to tickets are listed at the allusionist dot org slash events.
0:54.0	Also coming up very soon is the 200th episode of the podcast.
0:58.0	Do you want to be in it?
0:59.0	I would love for you to be.
1:00.0	Here's what I have in mind.
1:02.0	A quiz episode, you know, like our annual quizzes, but this time, you will pose the questions. They can be multiple
1:10.6	choice. They can be a format of drone devising. They just need to be
1:14.2	about language. You can send them in voice form or you can write them if you want me
1:18.8	to read them and you have until the 6th of September 2024 to deliver them go to the
1:24.0	illusionist dot org slash quiz to do that I'm excited to see what you come up with
1:29.0	and I wonder what I will score this episode is all about queer slang in Arabic dialects. So content note, there are
1:37.2	references to sex and we do discuss some slurs and derogatory language. On with the show.
1:44.0	The idea for Takuir was simmering for a few years until my friends got really bored with me talking about it all the time and they're like just do something.
2:00.0	Just start somewhere, start somewhere.
2:02.7	And eventually I set up the Instagram page
2:06.2	really as a space to collect my thoughts
2:09.3	and somehow inadvertently ended up making an archive.
2:14.0	But it was a desire to collate, collect, explore, research, celebrate, and archive, those instances that I share with my friends,
	...

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