Green’s Dictionary of Slang

of a man, homosexual, effeminate; of a woman, lesbian.

1882		Bristol Magpie 17 Aug. 7/2: Who is the stout gentleman that nightly parades Cheltenham Road, and who exhibits such an intense desire for the company of youths, about 15? I am not aware that I appear effeminate, and yet this ‘funny man’ wanted to take me for a walk the other night at 9.30.
1929		‘Speckled Red’ [Rufus Perryman] ‘The Dirty Dozen’ lyrics] I met your daddy on the corner the other day; / You know about that, he was funny that way.
1930		George Hannah ‘Freakish Blues’ 🎵 You run around with ‘funny’ people, you’ll get a streak running up your back.
1954		W.G. Smith South Street 117: The Blues Singer saw at once what the bass player had meant by ‘funny.’ The men in the place were dancing with men and the women were dancing with women. ‘Oh, one of those!’ said the Blues Singer.
1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 51: ‘I ain’t funny, honey’ [...] Scar said in a high feminine voice.
1967		A. Baraka Tales (1969) 19: You better quit inferring that shit about Ray. What you trying to say, ol’ pointy head is funny or something?
1972		D. Claerbaut Black Jargon in White America 65: funny adj. homosexual-like; having homosexual tendencies.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 32: When I heard a male say ‘high yellow’ to describe another male, it usually functioned as a pejorative [...] it implied that he was ‘funny,’ a homosexual.
1981		J. Sullivan ‘Go West Young Man’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] Is he a bit funny?
1993		(con. 1930s) Kennedy & Davies Boots of Leather (2014) 33: ‘People in the neighborhood had clued this girl’s mother in to the fact that I was ‘kind of funny’.
1998		J. O’Connor Salesman 334: It’s little enough chance I get to be buyin’ women’s clothes. Though I suppose the girls down in Dunnes’ll think I’m a bit funny now.
2001		I. Welsh Glue 7: Alice really should take the boy to the barber’s mair often. He was like Shirley Temple. It could cause the laddie to grow up funny.
2008		D.R. Pollock ‘Schott’s Bridge’ in Knockemstiff 76: ‘How did you first figure out you was funny?’ [...] ‘What the fuck’s that mean? Funny.’ ‘I mean queer’.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 619: They’ll see you through no matter what they reckon to your funnyboy crimes... [...] some of them idn’t above hawkin’ their brawn when needs must .