Queer Street

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

In a difficult or precarious financial situation

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Trong tình huống tài chính khó khăn hoặc nguy hiểm

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: a street for queer people
Where it’s used: Used Widespread English
Sources & notes

Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Wrong. Improper. Contrary to one's wish. It is queer street, a cant phrase, to signify that it is wrong or different to our wish.

Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English
Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “Queer Street” mean?

In a difficult or precarious financial situation Literally: a street for queer people

Is “Queer Street” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.