WHAT IS COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG?

Cockney rhyming slang is a humorous slang (jerga) first used by cockneys in the east end
of London and now understood widely in London and throughout Britain. It was invented
in London in the 1840s by market traders, costermongers (sellers of fruit and vegetables
from handcarts), beggars, and petty criminals. It was probably first used as a cant – a
language designed to disguise what was being said from passers-by.
It remains a matter of speculation whether rhyming slang was a linguistic accident, a
game, or a cryptolect developed intentionally to confuse non-locals. If deliberate, it may
also 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 in order to facilitate
collusion, 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.
Today, cockney rhyming slang phrases have entered the British lexicon, and many are
still used in London and indeed all around Britain, as well as the modern mass media,
such as radio and TV, together with greater social mobility, meant that during the last
century rhyming slang spread outside London to other regions of the UK, and also to
other English-speaking countries. In particular, rhyming slang gained a wider audience
due to its use in popular movies such as The Italian Job and TV series such as Steptoe
and Son, Only Fools and Horses, and The Sweeney.
Australia: Rhyming slang features strongly in Australian English and was first recorded
there in the late nineteenth century. Since then, as Ayto remarks, the Australians
‘concocted an impressive rhyming vocabulary of their own’. Most of us have encountered
the word chunder (from Chunder Loo = ‘spew’), and regard it as a quintessential
Australianism. Other equally colourful Aussie rhyming expressions that are less familiar
outside Australia include:
noah a shark
Joe Blake a snake
kanga a prison warder
Potential confusion lies in the fact that a handful of similar expressions have different
meanings in British and Australian rhyming slang. So if you hear an Australian saying
‘she’s apples’, this has nothing to do with the familiar British rhyming slang, apples and
pears (‘stairs’). Instead, she’s apples derives from apples and rice (‘nice’). On the other
hand, there are different expressions in Australian and British rhyming slang with the
same meaning: on one’s tod (British) and on one’s pat (Australian) both mean ‘on one’s
own’.
HOW DOES COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG WORK?
Cockney rhyming slang phrases are derived from taking an expression which rhymes with
a word and then using that expression instead of the word. For example the word “look”
rhymes with “butcher’s hook“. In many cases the rhyming word is omitted – so you won’t
find too many Londoners having a “butcher’s hook” at this site, but you might find a few
having a “butcher’s”.
The rhyming word is not always omitted so cockney expressions can vary in their
construction, and it is simply a matter of tradition which version is used.
Rhyming slang often includes humour. Many phrases make sarcastic or ironic references
to their subjects. Examples include Trouble and Strife (for wife), Fat Boy Slim (for gym).
There are a few phrases which don’t follow the typical rhyming pattern, but are simple
rhymes in themselves but are still widely understood as cockney rhyming slang. An
example is Giraffe for laugh – “Are you ‘avin a Giraffe mate?”.
WHAT’S A COCKNEY?
A true Cockney is someone born within the sound of Bow Bells. (St Mary-le-Bow Church
in Cheapside, London).
However the term Cockney is now loosely applied to many born outside this area as long
as they have a “Cockney” accent or a Cockney heritage.
The Cockney accent is heard less often in Central London these days but is widely heard
in the outer London boroughs, the London suburbs and all across South East England. It
is common in Bedfordshire towns like Luton and Leighton Buzzard, and Essex towns
such as Romford.

WHO USES COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG?

Cockney Rhyming Slang originated in the East End of London. Some slang expressions
have escaped from London and are in popular use throughout the rest of Britain. For
example “use your loaf” is an everyday phrase for the British, but not too many people
realise it is Cockney Rhyming Slang (“loaf of bread: head”). There are many more
examples of this unwitting use of Cockney Rhyming Slang.
Television has raised awareness of Cockney Rhyming Slang to far greater heights. Classic
TV shows such as “Steptoe and Son”, “Minder”, “Porridge” and “Only Fools and Horses”
have done much to spread the slang throughout Britain and to the rest of the world.

IS COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG DEAD?

Not on your Nelly! Cockney Rhyming Slang may have had its highs and lows but today
it is in use as never before.
In the last few years hundreds of brand new slang expressions have been invented – many
betraying their modern roots, e.g. “Emma Freuds: haemorrhoids”; (Emma Freud is a TV
and radio broadcaster) and “Ayrton Senna”: tenner (10 pound note).

HOW IS COCKNEY SLANG DEVELOPING?

Modern Cockney slang that is being developed today tends to only rhyme words with the
names of celebrities or famous people. There are very few new Cockney slang
expressions that do not follow this trend. The only one that has gained much ground
recently that bucks this trend is “Wind and Kite” meaning “Web site”.
Cockney expressions are being exported from London all over the world. Here at
cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk we get loads of enquiries from folks as far afield as the USA,
Canada and Japan, all wanting to know the meaning of Cockney expressions.

English Rhymes with Cockney (part of the body)

Feet Plates of meat Plates

Teeth Hampstead Heath Hampsteads
Legs Scotch eggs Scotches
Eyes Mince pies Minces
Arms Chalk Farms Chalk Farms
Hair Barnet Fair Barnet
Head Loaf of bread Loaf
Face Boat race Boat race
Mouth North and south North and south

Adam and Eve – believe Alan Whickers – knickers

Apples and pears – stairs Artful Dodger – lodger
Ascot Races – braces Aunt Joanna – piano
Baked Bean – Queen Baker’s Dozen – Cousin
Ball and Chalk – Walk Barnaby Rudge – Judge
Barnet Fair – hair Barney Rubble – trouble
Battlecruiser – boozer Bees and honey – money
Bird lime – time (in prison) Boat Race – face
Bob Hope – soap Bottle and glass – arse
Brahms and Liszt – pissed (drunk) Brass Tacks – facts
Bread and Cheese – sneeze Bread and Honey – money
Bricks and Mortar – daughter Bristol City – breasts
Brown Bread – dead Bubble and Squeak – Greek
Bubble Bath – Laugh Butcher’s hook – a look
Chalfont St. Giles – piles Chalk Farm – arm
China plate – mate (friend) Cock and Hen – ten
Cows and Kisses – Missus (wife) Currant bun – sun (also The British
newspaper)
Custard and jelly – telly (television) Daisy Roots – boots
Darby and Joan – moan Dicky bird – word
Dicky Dirt – shirt Dinky Doos – shoes
Dog and bone – phone Dog’s meat – feet [from early 20th c.]
Duck and Dive – skive Duke of Kent – rent
Dustbin lid – kid Elephant’s Trunk – drunk
Fireman’s Hose – nose Flowery Dell – cell
Frog and Toad – road Gypsy’s kiss – piss
Half-inch – pinch (to steal) Hampton Wick – prick
Hank Marvin – starving Irish pig – wig
Isle of Wight – tights Jam-jar – car
Jayme Gibbs Jimmy Riddle – piddle
Joanna – piano (pronounced ‘pianna’ in Khyber Pass – arse
Cockney)
Kick and Prance – dance Lady Godiva – fiver
Laugh n a joke – smoke Lionel Blairs – flares
Loaf of Bread – head Loop the loop – soup
Mickey Bliss – piss Mince Pies – eyes
Mork and Mindy – windy’ North and south – mouth
Orchestra stalls – balls Pat and Mick – sick
Peckham Rye – tie Plates of meat – feet
Pony and Trap – crap Raspberry ripple – nipple
Raspberry tart – fart Roast Pork – fork
Rosy Lee – tea (drink) Round the Houses – trousers
Rub-a-Dub – pub Ruby Murray – curry
Sausage Roll – goal Septic tank – Yank
Sherbert (short for sherbert dab) – cab Skin and Blister – sister
(taxi)
Sky Rocket – pocket Sweeney Todd – flying squad
Syrup of figs – wig (sic) Tables and chairs – stairs
Tea leaf – thief Tom and Dick – sick
 Tom tit – shit Tomfoolery – jewellery
Tommy Trinder – window Trouble and strife – wife
Two and eight – state (of upset) Vera Lynn – gin
Whistle and flute – suit (of clothes) Wonga – cash

TONY BLAIRS FLARES

Britney Spears beers
Claire Rayner strainers
Pete Tong wrong
Calvin Klein wine
Shania Twain pain

The Oxford Dictionary of Rhyming Slang, by John Ayto.

✓ Highly readable. Lively and informed collection of rhyming slang

✓ Arranged in 27 topics, including clothing, food and drink, sex, animals, and
illness, to provide a coherent picture of the development and range of rhyming
slang as applied to all areas of life

✓ Charts the 150 year history of rhyming slang from its origins in 19th century
cockney rhyming slang to modern popney rhyming slang

✓ Full of exquisite detail and hundreds of illustrative examples complete with

informed commentary

✓ Written by a highly regarded linguistic, author of the popular Oxford Dictionary

of Slang and Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang