What is Cockney rhyming slang?
Cockney rhyming slang is not a language but a collection of phrases used by Cockneys and other Londoners.
What's a Cockney?
St Mary Le Bow church in Cheapside, London
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.
What's Rhyming Slang?
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 "bucher'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 convention which version is used.
Some Cockney rhyming slang for parts of the body
In this list of example Cockney slang for parts of the body, you'll notice that some expressions omit the rhyming word but others do not.
| English |
Rhymes with |
Cockney |
| 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 |
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, eg "Emma Freuds:
hemorrhoids"; (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.
We're continually adding new slang to the dictionary. Why not contribute some yourself?
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