rough trade

[ruhf treyd]

noun

Slang.

1. gay male prostitution, especially involving brutality or sadism.

2. a gay male prostitute who engages in brutality or sadism, or such gay men collectively.

3. violent, often brutal sex acts.

4. a lower-class man who is found sexually attractive by a gay man from a higher social class.

rough trade

noun

1. slang,  (in homosexual use) a tough or violent sexual partner, esp a lorry driver, construction worker, or docker, casually picked up

Word History and Origins

Origin of rough trade¹

First recorded in 1925–30