Cockney%20Rhyming%20Slang

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Cockney Rhyming Slang

• L.O. To understand how words vary across dialects

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• A dialect found mostly in East London
• The principle is to decide what it is you want to
  say, and then find words which bear no real
  relation to what you're going to say, but which
  rhyme loosely with your phrase.

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Cockney rhyming slang used to be a form of Pidgin
English designed so that the working Eastenders
could have a right good chin wag without the
toffs knowing that they were talking about them.

• These days people just make it up for a laugh, so
  young streetwise Londoners say things like
• 'Ah mate, 'ad a right mare I did, got chucked out
  me pad and now fings wiv the trouble and strife
  have gone all pete tong!'
• Any ideas as to the meaning?

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Cockney Meaning Example
Adam and Eve believe I dont Adam and Eve it
Apples and pears stairs Get yourself up the apples and pears
Army and navy gravy Pass the army, Son
Artful dodger lodger Ive got an artful to help pay the rent
Ayrton Senna Tenner You owe me an Ayrton
Brass bands hands I shook him by the brass
Bread and honey money Hes got loads of bread
Bubble bath laugh I had a right good bubble
Butchers hook look Take a butchers at that!
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Cockney Meaning Example
China plate mate How are you, me old china?
Dicky bird word He hasnt said a dicky bird to me!
Army and navy gravy Pass the gravy, Son
Donkeys ears years I havent seen you in donkeys
Frog and toad road I was walking down the frog
Lemon squeezy easy It was lemon, mate
Rosie lee tea If youre brewing a pot, Ill have a rosie
Tom Foolery jewellery I gave me Trouble some Tom Foolery this Christmas
Trouble and strife wife Ive just had a Barney with me Trouble.
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So the English Language is in a constant state of
change

• New words are borrowed from other countries
• Dialects change in different parts of the United
  Kingdom
• Even some slang words eventually get recognition
  in the Oxford dictionary when they become
  commonly known!
• Your next task is to investigate how English
  varies.