COCKNEY
RHYMING SLANG
I would imagine
most people have come across rhyming slang at some time or other, even if
only in the movies - and may not even have realised it. It is sort of
texting in reverse - whereas texting abbreviates the actual words, rhyming
slang is a longer version.
A lot of the phrases
themselves have become shortened over the years e.g. Joanna (Piano), Tit for
Tat (Hat) is shortened to "Titfer" and "I'm Boracic"
means "I have no money".
The following lists some
of the good old originals, whereas others have been added more recently.
|
COCKNEY WORD/PHRASE |
DEFINITION |
|
Adam and Eve |
Believe |
|
Alan Whickers |
Knickers |
|
Almond Rocks / Tilbury Docks |
Socks |
|
Apples and Pears |
Stairs |
|
Aristotle |
Bottle |
|
Artful Dodger |
Lodger |
|
Ascot Races |
Braces |
|
Baked Bean |
Queen |
|
Baker's Dozen |
Cousin |
|
Ball and Chalk |
Walk |
|
Bangers and Mash |
Cash
Stewart Marden |
|
Barnaby Rudge |
Judge |
|
Barnet Fair |
Hair |
|
Barney
Rubble |
Trouble
Jayme Gibbs |
|
Basil Fawlty |
Balti |
|
Battlecruiser |
Boozer |
|
Berkshire Hunt (usually
shortened to Berk) |
A vulgar offensive word referring to
female genitalia.
Charles Hope |
|
Boat Race |
Face |
|
Bob Hope |
Soap
Dope (marijuana)
Ali Clark |
|
Boracic Lint |
Skint (no money) |
|
Brahms and List |
Pissed (drunk) |
|
Brass Tacks |
Facts |
|
Bread and Cheese |
Sneeze |
|
Bread and Honey |
Money |
|
Bricks and Mortar |
Daughter |
|
Bristol City |
Titty |
|
Brown Bread |
Dead |
|
Bubble Bath |
Laugh Robert Davis |
|
Bubble and Squeak |
Greek |
|
Butcher's Hook |
Look |
|
Chalfont St. Giles |
Piles
(see also Famer
Giles) |
|
Chalk Farm |
Arm |
|
China Plate |
Mate |
|
Cobbler's Awls |
Balls |
|
Cock and Hen |
Ten |
|
Cows and Kisses |
Missus (wife) Ken Dryden |
|
Ken also
advises that this has been around for years and is the origin of the
very common (but wholly un-PC) phrase "Silly Cow" (usually applied
nowadays to any woman perceived by a man to be doing something daft!) |
|
Currant Bun |
Sun |
|
Daisy Roots |
Boots |
|
Darby and Joan |
Moan |
|
Dicky bird |
Word |
|
Dicky Dirt |
Shirt |
|
Dinky Doos |
Shoes |
|
Dog and Bone |
Phone |
|
Duck and Dive |
Skive |
|
Duke of Kent |
Rent |
|
Dustbin Lid |
Kid |
|
Elephant's
Trunk |
Drunk
Ken Dryden |
|
Farmer Giles |
Piles
Chris |
|
Fireman's Hose |
Nose |
|
Flowery Dell |
Cell |
|
Four by Two |
Jew (Allan
Hoffmann) |
|
Frog and Toad |
Road |
|
Gold Watch
(Sometimes
Pocket Watch) |
Scotch
PT |
|
Gregory Peck |
Cheque |
|
Gregory peck |
Neck |
|
George Raft |
Draught |
|
Gypsy's Kiss |
Piss (urinate) |
|
Hampton Wick |
Prick |
|
Hank Marvin |
Starving |
|
Isle of
Wight |
Tight
Ken Dryden |
|
Jam Jar |
Car |
|
Jimmy Riddle |
Piddle/Widdle (urinate) |
|
Aunt Joanna |
Piano |
|
Khyber Pass |
Arse (backside/bottom) |
|
Kick and Prance |
Dance |
|
Lady Godiva |
Fiver (Five pounds) |
|
Laugh n a joke |
Smoke Alan Robertson |
|
Lionel Blairs |
Flares (I.e. trousers) |
|
Loaf of Bread |
Head |
|
Mickey Bliss |
Piss (urinate) |
|
Mince Pies |
Eyes |
|
Mork and Mindy |
Windy |
|
Mutt and Jeff |
Deaf |
|
Nanny Goat |
Coat
Kenneth Stratford |
|
North and South |
Mouth |
|
Oily Rag |
Fag (cigarette) |
|
Orchestra stalls |
Balls Alan Robertson |
|
Pat and Mick |
Sick |
|
Peckham Rye |
Tie |
|
Pen and Ink |
stink (smell) |
|
Plates of Meat |
Feet |
|
Pony and Trap |
Crap (sort of manure!) |
|
Porky Pies |
Lies |
|
Rhythm n blues
|
Shoes Alan Robertson |
|
Rosie Lee |
Tea |
|
Roast Pork |
Fork |
|
Round the Houses |
Trousers |
|
Rub-a-Dub |
Pub (Public House/Bar) |
|
Ruby Murray |
Curry |
|
Salmon and Trout |
Snout
(tobacco/cigarette) |
|
Sausage Roll |
Goal |
|
Scooby (Scooby Doo) |
Clue
Daryl Armstrong |
|
Sherbert Dab |
Cab |
|
Skin and Blister |
Sister |
|
Sky Rocket |
Pocket |
|
Struggle and Grunt |
A vulgar offensive word referring to
female genitalia.
E.
Yule |
|
Sweeney Todd |
Flying Squad |
|
Syrup of Figs |
Wig |
|
Tea Leaf |
Thief |
|
Tilbury Docks / Almond Rocks |
Socks
Mick Rouemaine
|
|
Thrupney Bit ***
Two Bob Bit* |
Shi* (sorry)
Robert Davis
See note below
Squits (diarrhea)
Rob Studholme
|
|
Tom Tit |
As above.
John Cole /Chris |
|
***A
"thrupney bit" was a 3 pence piece before decimalisation in UK. |
"Peter" has corrected on this one -
Thrupney Bit(s) is apparently slang for "Tit(s)"
and, he also advises Tupney bit is the slang for "Sxxx" .
I am not sure about this, however, as "tupney"
is short for tuppence (two pence) and the two pence piece is a fairly
new coin. I think it may be "Two bob bit" (* a two shilling piece
also known as a florin) which is the slang for "sxxx".
Dave Row has
also confirmed this.
Charles
Hope has added further clarification -
'Tuppenny' is neither rhyming
slang nor a reference to some defunct or non-existent 2d piece,
more prosaically it is short for 'tuppeny upright':
"Unlike Dickens' fictional Nancy (of 'Oliver' fame) - a 'tuppenny
upright', as the lowest street-walkers were known..."
Well, I am glad we have
cleared that one up!!!! |
|
Tit for Tat (Titfer) |
Hat |
|
Todd Sloane |
Alone |
|
Tom and Dick |
Sick |
|
Tom Foolery |
Jewellery |
|
Tommy Tank |
Bank
Kenneth Stratford |
|
Tommy Trinder |
Window |
|
Trouble and Strife |
Wife |
|
Vera Lynn |
Gin |
|
Weasel and Stoat |
Coat |
|
Whistle and Flute |
Suit |
There are two other pages on this
subject; a list sorted by words and
another providing examples of sentences using
rhyming slang.
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