Thursday Thirteen #64

Maybe some of you have heard of Cockney rhyming slang.  It is a seemingly rather convoluted, yet really very simple, way of saying certain words by using other words.  Its origins have not been definitely established, though the balance of opinion seems to be that it was a code invented by the criminal classes in Victorian London, in order to be able to talk about certain nefarious activities they had planned without having to worry about being overheard.  I don’t know if that’s true but I hope it is.  Basically, what it involves is taking an established pair of words (or three words), the last of which rhymes with what it is you want to say, and you say that instead.  Sometimes you will only say the first word of the group.  Two often quoted examples (which, incidentally, you will never hear in real life) are Trouble and strife, meaning wife, and Apples and pears, meaning stairs, so for example you can say you have to go up he apples, meaning upstairs.   Rhyming slang fell into disuse in the second half of the twentieth century until it enjoyed a revival thanks to its frequent use in such immensely popular TV programmes such as   Minder and The Bill and Only Fools And Horses.    These days it is still widely used and understood by far more people, at all levels of society, than it ever was in the Victorian era.   Here, now, are thirteen (plus two) examples of rhyming slang that are in current use………..


Barnet Fair   This reference to the annual fair held in Barnet means hair. Another place name signifying part of your body is…

Hampstead Heath  which mean teeth.

Mutt and Jeff  Deaf

Tom and Dick  Sick.  And if you are too Tom and Dick you might end up….

Brown bread  which means dead.  RIP.

Dog and bone  means telephone. Probably not a Victorian expression but a later invention. “What’s your dog number?”

Raspberry tart  means – have you guessed? – fart.  As in, blowing a raspberry.

Tit for tat  means hat.  But in general, you don’t refer to your tit (I wonder why not!) but your titfer.

Bees and honey  means money. If you don’t have any, then you are…

Boracic lint  meaning skint.  Skint?  Yes – a British slang term (not rhyming) meaning absolutely broke.

Adam and Eve means believe.  Almost always used in full, as in “Would you Adam and Eve it!”

Boat race  means face. 

Pork pies means lies, as in the kind people tell. Very often abbreviated to “porkies”  as in “Are you telling me porkies?”

In at least one instance, the rhyme has moved on to another level.  Aris means arse (translation: ass, or if you’re too delicate, rear end).   Actually it’s a very straightforward progression.  Bottle and glass means arse, and bottle rhymes with Aristotle, which is shortened to Aris, therefore Aris = arse.  Simple, really!

PS:  Memo to Sarah Palin, recently named as Vice Presidential candidate for the Republicans.  If your daughter Bristol ever goes to England, she should be prepared for smirks and giggles. No, I don’t mean because she is preggo – I mean because Bristol is rhyming slang for breast, after a football team called Bristol City.  Geddit?

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Comments

[Slender Octopus]

I love this stuff...infact I will do an Australian version next TT!

[Michelle]

This is some great stuff. Very interesting. I had no idea this type of language existed. Wonderful TT.

[marcia@joyismy goal]

OMG i would be soooo lost those are hilarious

[gdaybloke]

Rhyming Slang was big in Australia back in the day too. Some terms persist.

Dead Horse = Tomato Sauce = Ketchup

Seppo = short for Septic Tank = Yank

[pussreboots]

I'm giggling at the post script.

[Lori]

OK...none of those made sense but they made me giggle. Pretty funny. Happy TT my friend. Thanks for stopping by. Its always nice to see you;)

[Janet]

Hampstead Heath...that sounds familiar...

[Winter]

I'm snickering at porkies and Bristol. But then again, I'm a dirty girl, so I would. ;)

[Nicole Austin]

Wow, insteresting list. Especially since many of those can have different meanings. Like blowing raspberries.

[Ms. Behaving]

"Would you Adam and Eve it??"

[I can definitely see myself using that one! :-)] Happy TT!!

[Yasmin]

HELLO Nicholas and happy TT! Thanks for stopping by!

[Gattina]

How interesting, but know I also know why I never understood a single phrase, lol !

[Robin from Israel]

I can never answer the rhyming slang questions on The Weakest Link!

[AnthonyNorth]

Well, I'm sat 'ere in me whistle and flute, after just coming down the apple and pairs and I don't Adam 'n' Eve how good a post this is :-)

[she]

this reminds me of the austin powers movie where mike myers and michael caine are sitting there speaking like this. it always cracked me up -- now i vaguely understand why they were talking that way!

[Pamela Kramer]

rofl - Love your P.S. that his hilarious. I'm so glad you made it by my blog and you voted too! I haven't seen you in a long time. You just help my little business gain another vote in the contest wars of the most innovated new home based company. Thank you sir! Happy TT - Too much Tom and Dick...funny stuff.

[Mary Emken]

Hi Nick, I have heard of of Cockney Rhyming slang,but didn't know what it was. Fun list. I have heard some of those vases in a movie ,but didn't know what they were talking about. Take care

[colleen]

How about Plates of Meat = Feet. I did a post on Cockney Rhyming Slang here http://www.looseleafnotes.com/notes/2005/06/cockney_rhyming_slang.html

I love to play with language.

[colleen]

How about Plates of Meat = Feet. I did a post on Cockney Rhyming Slang here http://www.looseleafnotes.com/notes/2005/06/cockney_rhyming_slang.html

I love to play with language.

[Wylie Kinson]

Thanks for spilling the secrets of Cockney slang. I'm going to try these out on the family at dinner tonight. Well, all except Briston (hee hee) and Aris.

I had a Brit friend whose personalized licence plate said JAM JAR, which she had to constantly explain to us dumb Bermudians ;)

[Sue]

Fun list and happy TT :)

[after hours]

OMG so funny. This is incredibly hard to figure out on my own but when you list it it seems so easy.

Way cool. Thanks by stopping by!

[On a limb with Claudia]

Heya Nicholas - how's it? I do love this slang. What I love more is how it's misused. It always makes me laugh. :)

[The Gal Herself]

Ah, we are nations separated by a common language, aren't we? I think this slang is charming and imaginative. And thanks for visiting my humble TT.

[Nona]

Reminds me of a "code" we used to use to write notes about people in school. I never was any good at it.