Posted on March 3rd, 2023
Image: A big thank you to Pearly Queen of Rotherhithe, Michelle Thorpe, for her great sense of fun during a fundraising day with Pearly King of Camberwell & Bermondsey, Jimmy Jukes MBE, at Arments for the charity UKHomes4Heroes.
Cockney Rhyming Slang
Rhyming slang is a form of phrase construction in the English language used by the people from the East End of London, hence the name Cockney rhyming slang. A true Cockney is someone born within the sound of Bow Bells (St Mary-le-bow Church in Cheapside, London). 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 construction involves replacing a common word with a rhyming phrase, or two or three words, and then in almost all cases, omitting the secondary rhyming word, making the meaning of the phrase elusive to listeners not in the know.
It is thought that rhyming slang was possibly developed intentionally as a game or to confuse the locals. In the market place it could have been used to allow market traders to talk amongst themselves without their customers knowing what they were saying.
I was on the dog to me old china, telling him to get on his plates up the frog to Arment’s ‘cos they sell the best pie ‘n’ mash and and you get change out of a Lady Godiva. Would you Adam and Eve it!
I was on the phone to my mate, telling him to get on his feet up the road to Arment’s because they sell the best pie and mash and you get change out of £5. Would you believe it!
In recent years, additional modern words have joined the cockney language.
A list of Cockney Language
Adam and Eve- Believe
Apples and pears – Stairs
Apple Peeling – Feeling
Apple Tart – Heart
Ayrton/Ayrton Senna – Tenner (£10)
Barnet/Barnet Fair – Hair
Boat/Boat Race – Face
Borassic/Borassic Lint – Skint
Brahms/Brahms and Liszt – Drunk
Bread/Bread and Honey – Money
Britneys /Britney Spears – Beers
Bo Peep – Sleep
Brown Bread – Dead
(Have a) Butchers/Butcher’s Hook – Look
(My old) China/China Plate – Mate
Crackered/Cream Crackered – Tired/Knackered
Current Bun – Sun
Daisy Roots/Daisy’s -Boots
Dog/Dog and Bone – Phone
Frog/Frog and Toad – Road
Gregory/Gregory Peck – Neck
Hampsteads/Hampstead Heath – Teeth
On your Jack/Jack Jones – Alone
Lady Godiva/Lady – Fiver (£5)
Loaf/Loaf of Bread – Head
Lionels/Lionel Blairs – Flares
Tonys/Tony Blairs – Flares
Mincies/Mince Pies – Eyes
Mutton/Mutt and Jeff – Deaf
North and South – Mouth
Peckham/Peckham Rye – Tie
Pen and Ink – Stink
It’s all gone Pete Tong – Gone Wrong
Plates/Plates of Meat – Feet
Taters/Potatoes in the mould – Cold
Rabbit/Rabbit and Pork – Talk
Rosie/Rosie Lee – Tea
Syrup/Syrup of Figs – Wig
Tea Leaf – Thief
Titfer/Tit for tat – Hat
On your Tod/Tod Sloan – Alone
Trouble and Strife – Wife
Weasel/Weasel and Stoat – coat