Cockney rhyming slang

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Cockney rhyming slang (sometimes abbreviated as CRS) is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London.

Contents

1 Overview
2 Rhyming slang in popular culture
3 Other rhyming slang
4 Examples
5 See also
6 External links

Overview

Rhyming slang works by replacing words with short phrases that rhyme with them. For instance, the term "boat race" would be used to refer to one's face, as "race" rhymes with "face". Often, to quicken speech, the phrase is abbreviated to only the first word or syllable. So, in a similar fashion, "plates" would be "feet" ("plates of meat"), and "bread" would mean "money" ("bread and honey").

The origins of rhyming slang are disputed. Some suggest it developed as a way of obscuring the meaning of sentences to those who did not understand, such as non-locals. However, it remains a matter of speculation as to whether this was a linguistic accident; it was developed intentionally to assist criminals; or it was chiefly used to maintain a sense of community.

The proliferation of rhyming slang has meant many of its expressions have passed into common language, and the creation of new ones is no longer restricted to Cockneys. Some substitutions have become relatively widespread in Britain, such as "have a " (which means to have a look, from the rhyming slang "butcher's hook"), and these are often now used without awareness of the original rhyming slang. Such is the extent of this that terms like "" (from Berkeley Hunt, meaning "cunt") and "" (from "cobbler's awls", meaning "balls") are both less taboo than their etymology would suggest. Despite this, most other actual and purported substitutions are still not in common usage.

This style of rhyming has spread through many English-speaking countries, where the original phrases are supplemented by rhymes created to fit local needs. Creation of rhyming slang has become a word game for people of many classes and regions. The term 'Cockney' rhyming slang is generally applied to these expansions to indicate the rhyming style; though arguably the term only applies to phrases used in the East End of London. Similar formations do exist in other parts of the United Kingdom; for example, in the East Midlands, the local accent has formed "Derby Road", which rhymes with "cold": a conjunction that would not be possible in any other dialect of the UK.

All slang is rooted in the era of its origin, and therefore some of the meaning of its original etymology will be lost as time passes. In the 1980s, for example, "Kerry Packered" meant "knackered"; in the 1990s, "Veras" referred to Rizla rolling papers ("Vera Lynns" = "skins" = Rizlas), as popularized in the song "Ebeneezer Goode" by The Shamen; and in 2004, the term "Britneys" was used to mean "beers" (or in Ireland to mean "queers") via the music artist "Britney Spears".

Rhyming slang in popular culture

Musical artists such as Audio Bullys and The Streets use Cockney rhyming slang in almost all of their songs, while Cockney artists Chas and Dave regularly use Cockney rhyming slang in their songs. The term "Chas and Dave" is also cockney rhyming slang for "shave". Ian Dury who used rhyming slang throughout his career, even wrote a song for his solo debut New Boots And Panties! entitled Blackmail Man, an anti-racist song that utilized numerous derogatory rhyming slang for various ethnic minorities.

Rhyming slang is also often used in feature films, such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) (which contains a glossary of Cockney rhyming slang on the United States DVD version to assist the viewer), and on television (e.g. Minder, EastEnders) to lend authenticity to an East End setting. The theme song to The Italian Job, composed by Quincy Jones, contains many Cockney rhyming slang expressions. The lyrics by Don Black amused and fascinated the composer. Additionally, the schoolkid characters in the film To Sir With Love regularly speak in Cockney rhyming slang, which their new teacher (Sidney Poitier) finds impossible to understand; the film Austin Powers in Goldmember features a dialogue between Austin Powers and his father Nigel entirely in Cockney rhyming slang; and although due to its working-class origins rhyming slang is not generally associated with royalty, the character of Prince Wendell is heard to use Cockney rhyming slang on occasion in the television movie, The 10th Kingdom.

The box office success Ocean's Eleven (2001) contains an apparent example of Cockney rhyming slang, when the character Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle) uses the slang "Barney" to mean "trouble," derived from Barney Rubble. In common usage, "Barney" does not mean trouble; it means an argument or a fight. Some argue that it is derived from "Barn Owl" which (in a Cockney accent) nearly rhymes with "row" (argument). However, the book Understanding British English, by Margaret E. Moore, Citadel Press, 1995, does not list "Barney" in its "Rhyming Slang" section. Furthermore, Slang and Its Analogues, by J.S. Farmer and W.E. Henley and originally printed in 1890, states that "Barney" (which can mean anything from a "lark" to a "row") is of unknown origin, and was used in print as early as 1865.

The film Green Street Hooligans (2005) features usage of Cockney rhyming slang as well as a brief explanation of the process the slang is derived from.

In the book Trainspotting, by Irvine Welsh, several of the characters use the phrase Joe Baxi to refer to a taxicab (taxi).

The film The Limey (1999) feature Terrence Stamp as Wilson a Cockney man recently released from prison who spices his conversations with rhyming slang:

Wilson: Can't be too careful nowadays, y'know? Lot of "tea leaves" about, know what I mean? Warehouse Foreman: Excuse me? Wilson: Tea leaves... thieves.

Other rhyming slang

Australian English shares some Cockney rhyming slang and also has many of its own terms. (See: Australian rhyming slang.) Some people have speculated that this is due to a strong formative influence of Cockneys on Australian culture.

In the United States some common slang seems to have had its origin in Cockney rhyming slang: "raspberry," shortened from "raspberry tart" meaning fart; "" means fists; "duke it out" means settle an argument via fisticuffs; "bread" means money; "creamed" means beaten (interestingly, in the UK "creamed" can also mean "exhausted", from the rhyme of "cream cracker" and "knacker").

In Scotland a new form of rhyming slang has developed, both in Scottish English and Scots. "Are ye corned, I said 'sit doon on yer chorus and we'll have a wee salvador.' Mine's a Mick Jagger by the way." ('Corned' is short for 'corned beef', as in '[deif]', meaning 'deaf'; 'Chorus' is from 'chorus and verse', rhyming with arse, the Scots word for buttocks; 'Salvador', as in 'Dali', rhymes with 'Swallie', meaning 'drink'; 'Jagger' means lager.) It has been noted by the Edinburgh author and journalist Irvine Welsh that rhyming slang with Cockney origin is now more likely to be used and developed in Scotland than in the East End of London, giving rise to formations that rely on the Scottish accent for their effect (see 'Denis Law' = 'snow' for example).

In Northern Ireland another form of rhyming slang has arisen. For example, "potato bread" can mean dead, while the word "loaf" (from a loaf of bread) usually means head. Also, continued from loaf of bread the word bap is usually used to describe hair.

There is a set of specialist rhyming slang terms used by some members of the British disabled community to describe medical conditions. This is sometimes termed "disability rhyming slang" and shares the same style, and some of the same phrases, as the more traditional rhyming slang.

Examples

Apples = apples and pears = stairs — e.g. "Get up them apples!"
Barnet = Barnet Fair = hair — e.g. "What’s the matter with your Barnet?"
Dukes = Duke[s] of York = fork, i.e. hand, now chiefly when balled into a fist
Frog = frog and toad = road — e.g. "I was crossing the frog."
Rosie = Rosie Lee = tea — e.g. "Have a cup of Rosie."

External links

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