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COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG

I would imagine most people have come across rhyming slang at some time or other, even if only in the movies - and may not even have realised it.  It is sort of texting in reverse - whereas texting abbreviates the actual words, rhyming slang is a longer version.

A lot of the phrases themselves have become shortened over the years e.g. Joanna (Piano), Tit for Tat (Hat) is shortened to "Titfer" and "I'm Boracic" means "I have no money".

The following lists some of the good old originals, whereas others have been added more recently.

COCKNEY WORD/PHRASE DEFINITION
Adam and Eve Believe
Alan Whickers Knickers
Almond Rocks / Tilbury Docks Socks
Apples and Pears Stairs
Aristotle Bottle
Artful Dodger Lodger
Ascot Races Braces
Baked Bean Queen
Baker's Dozen Cousin
Ball and Chalk Walk
Barnaby Rudge Judge
Barnet Fair Hair
Barney Rubble Trouble                                                                                           Jayme Gibbs
Basil Fawlty Balti
Battlecruiser Boozer
Berkshire Hunt (usually shortened to Berk) A vulgar offensive word referring to female genitalia.

Charles Hope
Boat Race Face
Bob Hope Soap

Dope (marijuana)                                                       Ali Clark
Boracic Lint Skint (no money)
Brahms and List Pissed (drunk)
Brass Tacks Facts
Bread and Cheese Sneeze
Bread and Honey Money
Bricks and Mortar Daughter
Bristol City Titty
Brown Bread Dead
Bubble Bath Laugh                                                                                            Robert Davis
Bubble and Squeak Greek
Butcher's Hook Look
Chalfont St. Giles Piles
Chalk Farm Arm
China Plate Mate
Cobbler's Awls Balls
Cock and Hen Ten
Cows and Kisses Missus (wife)                                                                             Ken Dryden

Ken also advises that this has been around for years and is the origin of the very common (but wholly un-PC) phrase "Silly Cow" (usually applied nowadays to any woman perceived by a man to be doing something daft!)
Currant Bun Sun
Daisy Roots Boots
Darby and Joan Moan
Dicky bird Word
Dicky Dirt Shirt
Dinky Doos Shoes
Dog and Bone Phone
Duck and Dive Skive
Duke of Kent Rent
Dustbin Lid Kid
Elephant's Trunk Drunk                                                                                              Ken Dryden
Fireman's Hose Nose
Flowery Dell Cell
Frog and Toad Road
Gold Watch

(Sometimes Pocket Watch)

 Scotch                                                                                                 PT
Gregory Peck Cheque
Gregory peck Neck
George Raft Draught
Gypsy's Kiss Piss (urinate)
Hampton Wick Prick
Hank Marvin Starving
Isle of Wight Tight                                                                                                  Ken Dryden
Jam Jar Car
Jimmy Riddle Piddle/Widdle (urinate)
Aunt Joanna Piano
Khyber Pass Arse (backside/bottom)
Kick and Prance Dance
Lady Godiva Fiver (Five pounds)
Laugh n a joke Smoke                                                                                       Alan Robertson
Lionel Blairs Flares (I.e. trousers)
Loaf of Bread Head
Mickey Bliss Piss (urinate)
Mince Pies Eyes
Mork and Mindy Windy
Mutt and Jeff Deaf
North and South Mouth
Oily Rag Fag (cigarette)
Orchestra stalls Balls                                                                                             Alan Robertson
Pat and Mick Sick
Peckham Rye Tie
Pen and Ink stink (smell)
Plates of Meat Feet
Pony and Trap Crap (sort of manure!)
Porky Pies Lies

Rhythm n blues

Shoes                                                                                        Alan Robertson
Rosie Lee Tea
Roast Pork Fork
Round the Houses Trousers
Rub-a-Dub Pub (Public House/Bar)
Ruby Murray Curry
Salmon and Trout Snout (tobacco/cigarette)
Sausage Roll Goal
Sherbert Dab Cab
Skin and Blister Sister
Sky Rocket Pocket
Sweeney Todd Flying Squad
Syrup of Figs Wig
Tea Leaf Thief
Tilbury Docks / Almond Rocks Socks                                                                 Mick Rouemaine
Thrupney Bit ***

Two Bob Bit*

 Shi* (sorry)    

Robert Davis

See note below
Tom Tit As above.                           John Cole
***A "thrupney bit" was a 3 pence piece before decimalisation in UK.
"Peter" has corrected on this one - 

Thrupney Bit(s) is apparently slang for "Tit(s)" and, he also advises Tupney bit is the slang for "Sxxx" .

I am not sure about this, however, as "tupney" is short for tuppence (two pence) and the two pence piece is a fairly new coin.  I think it may be "Two bob bit" (* a two shilling piece also known as a florin) which is the slang for "sxxx".

Dave Row has also confirmed this.

Charles Hope has added further clarification -

'Tuppenny' is neither rhyming slang nor a reference to some defunct or non-existent 2d piece, more prosaically it is short for 'tuppeny upright':

"Unlike Dickens' fictional Nancy (of 'Oliver' fame) - a 'tuppenny upright', as the lowest street-walkers were known..."
 

Well, I am glad we have cleared that one up!!!!
Tit for Tat (Titfer) Hat
Todd Sloane Alone
Tom and Dick Sick
Tom Foolery Jewellery
Tommy Trinder Window
Trouble and Strife Wife
Vera Lynn Gin
Weasel and Stoat Coat
Whistle and Flute Suit

 

 

 

 

 

There are two other pages on this subject;  a list sorted by words and another providing examples of sentences using rhyming slang.

 

ANY ADDITIONS WOULD BE GRATEFULLY RECEIVED

june@hintsandthings.com

 

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