![slang terms for types of gay men slang terms for types of gay men](http://umdlaborcenter.org/img/919301.png)
Trolling can be used almost interchangeably with cruising and like much of Polari usage was probably meant to disguise what was being talked about because being gay was (and in some contexts still is) taboo and discussing gay sex in any public area can be risky. "As a Polari word, troll can mean ‘to walk effeminately’, or ‘to walk, seeking sex’." The term troll probably became equated with cruising because a troll is a "creature of Scandinavian folklore depicted as a devilish imp who lives in dark places and 'patrols' in an endless search." "The word trolla in Swedish means ‘to charm or bewitch’." Or perhaps from trolling as trolling for fish: Cast a wide net and hook whatever you can. There is still debate about how Polari originated but its origins can be traced back to at least the 19th century.
![slang terms for types of gay men slang terms for types of gay men](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IOVHR4PuIeM/maxresdefault.jpg)
Troll as gay slang is amongst the lexicon of the cant Polari used in the gay subculture in Britain which has become more mainstream with transcontinental travel and online communication.
![slang terms for types of gay men slang terms for types of gay men](https://images.theconversation.com/files/138009/original/image-20160916-14287-1v2kj82.jpg)
A troll is a fearsome member of a race of creatures from Norse mythology that have achieved international recognition and become stock characters in popular culture.