What is "swish"

Swish \Swish\, v. t. [From the sound. Cf. Swash.]

1. To flourish, so as to make the sound swish.
   --Coleridge.

2. To flog; to lash. [Slang]
   --Thackeray.

Swish \Swish\, v. i. To dash; to swash.

Swish \Swish\, n.

1. A sound of quick movement, as of something whirled through the air. [Colloq.]

2. (Naut.) Light driven spray. [Eng.]

1820, sound of something moving through the air, from swish (v.); sense of "effeminate homosexual" is 1930s in homosexual slang, probably from notion of mincing motion. Related: Swishy (adj.).

1756 (intransitive); 1799 (transitive), probably imitative of the sound made by something brushing against or through something. Related: Swished; swishing.

1. 1 (context British colloquial English) sophisticated; fashionable; smooth. 2 Attractive, stylish 3 effeminate. n. 1 A short rustling, hissing or whistling sound, often made by friction. 2 A sound of liquid flowing inside a container. 3 A movement of an animal's tail 4 A twig or bundle of twigs, used for administering beatings; a switch 5 (context basketball English) A successful basketball shot that does not touch the rim or backboard. 6 An effeminate male homosexual. v

2. 1 To make a rustling sound while moving. 2 (context transitive English) To flourish with a swishing sound. 3 (context transitive slang dated English) To flog; to lash. 4 (context basketball English) To make a successful basketball shot that does not touch the rim or backboard. 5 (context gay slang English) To mince or otherwise to behave in an effeminate manner.

adj. elegant and fashionable; "classy clothes"; "a classy dame"; "a posh restaurant"; "a swish pastry shop on the Rue du Bac"- Julia Child [syn: classy, posh]

1. n. a brushing or rustling sound

2. v. move with or cause to move with a whistling or hissing sound; "The bubbles swoshed around in the glass"; "The curtain swooshed open" [syn: lap, swosh, swoosh]

Swish may refer to:

Swish is a US English slang term for effeminate behaviour and interests ( camp), emphasized and sanctioned in gay male communities prior to the Stonewall riots. This behaviour is also described as being nelly in British English, and both terms are often considered to be derogatory.

Being swish stereotypically includes sashaying and the use of falsetto voices, feminine pronouns, and superlatives. According to Martin Levine and Michael Kimmel in Gay Macho: The Life and Death of the Homosexual Clone:

Jonathan Whitfield (born May 10) known by his stage name Swish, is an American hip-hop producer/ rapper from Mississippi. He is a solo artist and is also a member of hip-hop duo Mr & Mrs in which he is the main producer and co-writes/performs songs with his wife Nadirah X.

Swish is an American indie rock band founded by Lori Martin Gregory in the fall of 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts, and includes guitarist Joe Boyle and Dinosaur Jr. drummer Patrick "Murph" Murphy. Lori founded the project after playing in the Boston music scene for years, including a brief European tour as a fill-in bassist for Helium, between Brian Dunton and Ash Bowie of Polvo.

In the summer of 1996, Don Fleming produced a 7-song Swish EP, "Supermax," which was released on his Instant Mayhem label and distributed by Caroline/Virgin Records in seven countries. The EP features a track, "Game," which was recorded and engineered by Wally Gagel and includes a cello track by Duke Roth, formerly of Bullet Lavolta.

"Supermax" was well received among indie rock critics. M. Tye Comer of the CMJ New Music Report described the disc as "emotionally dense tracks (that) trudge along like angels walking barefoot on cobblestone," (Review, "CMJ New Music Report," M. Tye Comer, June 3, 1996) and John Elsasser of Magnet Magazine declared that "Martin has the kind of voice you could listen to for hours," (Review, "Magnet Magazine," John Elsasser, Aug./Sept. 1996). Following the disc's release Swish toured briefly with Mike Watt (at the time featuring guitarist Nels Cline, now of Wilco), playing shows in Boston, Western Massachusetts and New York.

In 1997, Murph also signed on to drum for Evan Dando and The Lemonheads, for which he brought Lori along who was offered the bassist position by Dando. However, she declined to join.

After several years playing around in the acting and music world in Los Angeles, Lori is actively writing again and is working with original members Murph and Joe, as well as long-time friend and engineer/producer James Buckley.

Swish released three digital singles online via Bandcamp in 2014: Fear, Crickets and Lindstroms and Radar. They are the first three singles off of their in-process album "False Maria."

Swish is a gay-straight alliance that provides opportunities for all women and men to contribute their time, energy, and talents to furthering the LGBT rights movement. “Swish has been creating opportunities for straight allies to become active in the LGBT civil rights movement since 2003. They are inspired and encouraged by the recent outpouring of support by prominent straight allies, post- Prop 8. Swish’s, motivation is simple and clear - love is love. Until every citizen of this country – and the world – is treated equally under the law and celebrated by his or her friends, neighbors, colleagues and loved ones, our society will remain deeply flawed and un-evolved. “."