Rhyming slang Rhyming slang is a form of slang in which a word is replaced by a rhyming word, typically the second word

of a two-word phrase (so stairs becomes "apples and pears"). The second word is then often dropped entirely ("I'm going up the apples"), meaning that the association of the original word to the rhyming phrase is not obvious to the uninitiated. The exact origin of rhyming slang appears to be unclear, partly because it exists to some extent in many languages. In English, rhyming slang is strongly associated with Cockney speech from the East End of London. Overview of Cockney Slang The origin of this linguistic phenomenon is uncertain. It remains a matter of speculation as to whether it was a linguistic accident or whether it was a cryptolect developed intentionally to confuse nonlocals. If deliberate, it may have been used to maintain a sense of community. It is possible that it was used in the marketplace to allow vendors to talk amongst themselves without customers knowing what they were saying. Another suggestion is that it may have been used by criminals (see thieves' cant) to confuse the police. In recent years, the practice of dropping the rhyming word and using just the first word in the pair has become less common, as the slang has come to be used by people who do not understand, or choose not to obey, the traditional rules. The form in which the full phrase is used is now assumed by many people to be authentic Cockney rhyming slang. In terms of the original context, this modern form does little to serve the purpose of excluding outsiders. The proliferation of rhyming slang allowed many of its traditional expressions to pass into common usage and the creation of new expressions (often ironically) is no longer restricted to Cockneys. Some substitutions have become relatively widespread in Britain, for example "to have a butcher's", which means to have a look, from

"butcher's hook". Examples of this kind are often now used without awareness of their origins. Many English speakers are oblivious of the fact that the term "use your loaf" is derived from "loaf of bread", meaning head. This also holds for varieties of rhyming slang in other parts of the world: in the United States a common slang expression, "brass tacks", may be a rhyme for "the facts" and the most common Australian slang term for an English person is "pommy", which is believed to have originated as rhyming slang for immigrant. [1] The non-native speaker needs to be cautious in using rhyming slang to "fit in". The extent of the use of the slang is often exaggerated. In addition, since the original purpose was to encode or disguise speech from the comprehension of bystanders, terms that become too 'well known' still have a tendency to lose actual currency fairly quickly, putting whatever usage the slang enjoys into a constant flux. This style of rhyming has spread through many English-speaking countries, where the original phrases are supplemented by rhymes created to fit local needs. Creation of rhyming slang has become a word game for people of many classes and regions. The term 'Cockney' rhyming slang is generally applied to these expansions to indicate the rhyming style though arguably the term only applies to phrases used in the East End of London. Similar formations do exist in other parts of the United Kingdom for example, in the East Midlands, the local accent has formed "Derby Road", which rhymes with "cold": a conjunction that would not be possible in any other dialect of the UK. All slang is rooted in the era of its origin, and therefore some of the meaning of its original etymology will be lost as time passes. In the 1980s for example, "Kerry Packered" meant "knackered" in the 1990s, "Veras" referred to Rizla rolling papers ("Vera Lynns" = "skins" = Rizlas), as popularized in the song "Ebeneezer Goode" by The Shamen and in 2004, the term "Britneys" was used to mean "beers" (or in Ireland to mean "queers") via the music artist "Britney Spears". Also existent, the term "Posh & Becks" (referring to The Beckhams) instead of sex.

Rhyming slang in popular culture The British comedy series Mind Your Language (1977) features a character (caretaker Sid) who uses Cockney rhyming slang extensively. The show also had a whole episode dedicated to Cockney rhyming slang.