11. Queer (adj, n, V)

a) Adjective (especially as an adjective or noun modifier, as in queer rights; queer-bashing) and at present exists alongside the other, deliberately offensive use. Syn: strange, unusual, odd, eccentric, weird, bizarre; suspicious, dubious.

1) strange; odd. A queer fish.

She had a queer feeling that they were being watched

■ [predic.], dated slightly ill. To feel queer.

2) offensive (of a man) homosexual

b) Noun offensive a homosexual man

c) Verb [with obj.] spoil or ruin (an agreement, event, or situation)

Reg didn't want someone meddling and queering the deal at the last minute

d) in Queer Street

- queer someone's pitch Derivatives: queerish, queerly, queerness. Origin: early 16^th cent.: considered to be from German quer “oblique, perverse”, but the origin is doubtful

Usage: The word queer was first used to mean “homosexual” in the early 20^th century: it was originally, and usually still is, a deliberately offensive and aggressive term when used by heterosexual people. In recent years, however, gay people have taken the word queer and deliberately used it in place of gay or homosexual, in an attempt, by using the word positively, to deprive it of its negative power. This use of queer is now well established and widely used among gay people.

Word Combinations and Phrases

To tee up the ball

To give a short preliminary waggle

With the rapidity of lighting

To groan with dismay

To send along the ground

To manifest no surprise

To utter a decidedly profane ejaculation

To attack fiercely

Smb’s number is up

Never to know a day’s illness in one’s life

To be an eminently likeable one

To peer out

To peer over

To be on the point of doing sth.

To draw a deep breath of satisfaction

To be one’s particular bugbear

To catch one’s breath

To recover consciousness

To be clear and resonant

Exercises

1. Put 10 questions to the text.

2. Paraphrase the following sentences using the word combinations and phrases.

1. He set the ball for the first shot and tried to pull himself together. 2. The player hit the ball and it rolled along the ground very quickly. 3. Some fans howled with disappointment, others seemed to show no astonishment. 4. They attacked the ball so violently from the very beginning of the match that everyone present at the stadium seemed to exclaim impiously. 5. He made a short prior wave with the club before the shot. 6. He was world’s champion in ski jump twice and seemed a picture of health; but after the accident doctors his complications are so severe that doctors say he’d better give up sport, otherwise his days would be numbered. 7. She looked out of the window to see his face; it was quite pleasant. 8. The players were about to send the ball into the basket and everyone stopped breathing to see the upshot of the match. 9. The coach gave a delightful breath when the score became equal. 10. He wasn’t very good at tennis; each of her sets appeared her particular flop. 11. Though the smash was immensely violent and everyone was prepared for the worst he revived in several minutes, and even spoke in a voice that carried well⁴.