Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. something or someone that projects affectation, pretention.

1908		Sporting Times 28 Mar. 4/1: Small silk bows, embroidered spots, odd bits of lace sewed on anywhere are all chichis—trifles, trumpery ornaments… The actress pretending to be down with influenza so as to throw up a part she dislikes creates ‘chichis’; wee cakes and sandwiches are chichis; saucy false curles rank as chichis; elaborate compliments, or ‘no’ that means ‘yes’, and vice versa, are all chichis.
1935		S. Kingsley Dead End Act I: She is a realist; no chichi, no pretense.
1949		N. Kent Divided Path 277: There were white shag rugs, and the baroque furniture was white, upholstered in brown. Heavy fringe and tassels hung from looped draperies. Here was ‘chichi’ at its most chichi [Simes:DLSS].
1950		Mademoiselle Jan. 24: Another Chinese delicacy which would add extraordinary chichi to any party is the already famous butterfly shrimp.
1958		E. Dundy Dud Avocado (1960) 91: We’re not having anything to do with this effete chi-chi they’re trying to unload on us now.
1963		J.Blake letter 25 Jan. in Joint 199: A good intelligence, far too much chintz and chichi. In the concert racket as it is today, there is an equal mixture of pederasty, snobbery and vivisection.
1965		G. Melly Owning Up (1985) 88: [I]t is not that we were given to Scotch advert chichi. It was simply undrinkable even when we were drunk.
1971		J. Tanner Sex & Homosexual 70: ‘Let me ask you a simple question and I don’t want any chi-chi. Just tell me straight out’.

2. homosexuality, thus chichi man, a male homosexual.

1970		San Diego Sailor 70: The wardrobe quean [had] almost decided to pass the good word along to his partners in chi-chi.
2010		C. Cameron Making of a Jamaican Don 102: Batty man, Gays, Chichi man, faggots - in GP In those days in GP there were some serious batty man inside the prison.