aunt nell

English

Noun

aunt nell (plural aunt nells)

1. (Polari) An ear.
   • 2012, Ian McDonald, Be My Enemy (Everness; 2), Hachette UK, →ISBN:

     There was an omi down in Hackney, a stevedore, ran the Dalston Number Four Dock. He couldn't fly, see, cos he had something wrong with his aunt nells. His balance was all meshigener—you can't fly if you can't balance. You'd never be off your dish. But he had a daughter—loved her to the death—an' she could fly, and did, on the English Rose.

Derived terms

• aunt nell dangler (“earring”), aunt nelly fake (“earring”)

Verb

aunt nell (third-person singular simple present aunt nells, present participle aunt nelling, simple past and past participle aunt nelled)

1. (Polari) To listen; to hear.
   • 2013 May 29, Gerry Tebbutt, Twitter‎^[1]:

     @bonnie_langford you're aunt nelling the polari you bona pallone

   • 2015 October 12, Adam Lowe, “Poem of the week: Vada That”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     Aunt nell the patter flash and gardy loo! / Bijou, she trolls, bold on lallies / slick as stripes down the Dilly.

Interjection

aunt nell

1. (Polari, imperative) Remain silent; be quiet.