How Many Brits Here Use Rhyming Slang?

by Englishman 20 Replies latest jw friends

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    Cool stuff. Courtesy of google.

    Adam & Eve, verb
    Adam & Eve = believe.

    apples, noun
    apples and pears = stairs.

    April, noun
    April in Paris = Aris.
    Aris is an abbreviation of Aristotle = bottle.

    ball, noun
    ball of chalk = walk. (It's time to take a ball down the frog.)

    barnet, noun
    Barnet Fair = hair. (It's time you went and had your barnet cut, mate.)
    Barnett Fair was a popular fair held in High Barnet, now a borough of London.

    barney, noun
    Barney Rubble = trouble; a fight. (You are in some barney.)

    battle, noun
    battle cruiser = boozer, pub. (This place is quite a good battle.)

    berk, noun
    Berkshire Hunt/Berkley Hunt = c*nt.
    Both Berkshire and Berkley are typically pronounced bark. In this case, the first

    syllable is is pronounced birk. ('E's a right berk.)

    boat, noun
    boat race = face. (You've got a lovely boat, darlin'.)

    boracic, adj.
    boracic lint = skint, broke. (Sorry mate, I'm completely borassic.)

    bottle, noun
    bottle and glass = ass.

    brahms, adj.
    Brahms and Liszt=pissed, drunk. (Your china got right brahms the other night.)

    bread, noun
    bread and honey = money. (Got any bread?)

    bricks, noun
    bricks and mortar = daughter.

    Bristols, noun
    Bristol City = titty; tits, breasts.

    Britney, noun
    Britney Spears = beer/s. (Fancy a britney?)

    brown bread, adj.
    brown bread = dead. (That old geezer's brown bread now.)

    bubble, noun
    bubble bath = laugh. (You're 'avin a bubble, in't ya?)

    butcher's, noun
    butcher's hook = look. (Get a butchers at that.)

    china, noun
    china plate = mate; friend.

    cobblers, noun
    cobbler's awls = balls, testicles; nonsense. (What a load of old cobblers!)

    Cockney, noun
    a person from London, specifically from the East End of London.

    cream crackered, adj.
    cream crackered = knackered, tired, exhausted.

    currant, noun
    currant bun=son; sun; The Sun, a popular tabloid newspaper.

    daisy roots, noun
    daisy roots = boots. (That's a smart pair of daisies!)

    dicky bird, noun listen to The Long Firm
    dicky bird = word. (That bloke never once said a dicky.)

    dog and bone, noun
    dog and bone = telephone.

    duchess, noun
    Duchess of Fife = wife. ('Ow are you feelin' me old dutch?)

    dustbin lid, noun
    dustbin lid = kid; child.

    elephant's, adj.
    elephant's trunk = drunk.

    frog, noun
    frog and toad = road. (It's time to take a ball down the frog.)

    ginger, noun
    1. red-colored hair.
    2. ginger beer=queer, homosexual. ('E's one of them gingers.)

    gypsy's, noun
    gypsy's kiss = piss, urinate. (Gawd, I need a gypsy's.)

    half-inch, verb
    half-inch = pinch, steal. (Someone half-inched a fiver out of my purse.)

    Hampstead, noun
    Hampstead Heath = teeth. (She's got a huge boat full of hampsteads.)

    holy, noun
    Holy Ghost = toast. (I'll 'ave a cup o' rosy and some 'oly please.)

    jimmy, noun
    Jimmy Riddle = piddle, pee, urination. ('Ang on, I need to go for a jimmy.)

    kermit, noun
    Kermit the Frog = bog. (I'm going to the kermit.)

    khyber, noun
    Kyhber Pass = ass.

    lah-di-da/lar-dee-dar, noun
    lah-di-da/lar-dee-dar = cigar.

    laugh, noun
    laugh and joke = smoke; a cigarette. (I'm just goin' fer a laugh.)

    loaf, noun
    loaf of bread = head. (It's time you used your loaf, me old china.)

    mince pies, noun
    mince pies = eyes. (Feast yer minces on 'er legs.)

    mutt, adj.
    Mutt and Jeff = deaf. (You'll have to shout at 'im mate e's totally Mutt.)

    north, noun
    north and south = mouth. (She had a right foul north.)

    pen, verb
    pen and ink = stink. (It don't half pen in there.)

    Pete Tong, adj.
    Pete Tong = wrong. (Things are going a bit Pete Tong.

    pig, noun
    pig's ear = beer. (Can I buy you a pig?)

    plates, noun
    plates of meat = feet.

    pony, noun
    pony and trap = crap, rubbish.

    pork, noun
    pork pies = lies. ('Ave you been tellin' me porkies again?)

    posh and becks, noun
    posh and becks = sex.

    rabbit, verb
    rabbit and pork = talk; to talk on and on in a boring or annoying manner.

    raspberry, noun
    raspberry ripple = nipple. (That shirt is so thin I can see her raspberries.)

    raspberry, noun
    raspberry tart = fart; farting sound, a 'Bronx Cheer' to New Yorkers.

    raspberry, noun
    raspberry ripple = cripple, disabled person.
    Not very PC, but it is a term that is frequently used by the disabled themselves.

    Richard, noun
    Richard the third = turd, feces. (I'm going for a Richard.)

    rosy, noun
    Rosy Lee = tea. (Fancy a cup of rosy?)

    rub-a-dub, noun
    rub a dub dub = pub. (I'm going down the rub-a-dub.)

    saucepan, noun
    saucepan lid = kid, child.

    Scotches, noun
    Scotch eggs = legs. (She's got a lovely pair of Scotches.)

    septic, noun
    septic tank = Yank, an American. (A bus load of septics just stopped at the battle.)

    skin, noun
    skin and blister = sister.

    sky, noun
    sky rocket = pocket.

    taters, adj.
    taters (potatoes) in the mold = cold. (It's taters today.)

    tea leaf, noun
    tea leaf = thief.

    thru'penny, noun
    thru'penny bits = tits.
    Thrupenny bits were old twelve sided coins whose value was three pence (or

    thruppence). In the East End, th sound is pronounced f. Thus thrupenny is actually

    pronounced frappenny.

    titfer, noun
    tit-for-tat = hat. (You've got a nice new titfer.)

    Todd, noun
    Todd Sloan = own, alone. ('E's on 'is todd at 'ome tonight.)

    tom, noun
    tom tit = sh*t, dump. (I'm off for a Tom.)
    Tom Tit Tot is a character in the English fairy tale written by Joseph Jacobs,

    published in 1890. Jacobs also wrote Jack in the Beanstalk, Tom Thumb, and The

    Story of the Three Little Pigs.

    trouble and strife, noun
    trouble and strife = wife. (Sorry mate, can't make it. Got trouble at home.)

    two and eight, noun
    two and eight = state (of anguish). ('E's all in a two an' eight.)

    two bob, noun
    two bob bits = sh*ts, diarrhoea. (I got a bad case of the two-bobs today.)

    whistle, noun
    whistle and flute = suit. (Look at me in me new whistle.)

    S

  • Sirona
    Sirona

    I use Apples and Pears - stairs

    Half Inch - pinch (steal)

    Dog and bone - phone

    Sirona

  • New Worldly Translation
    New Worldly Translation

    Oh yeah I forgot a couple like bread for money and cobblers for nonsense. A lot of those are bone fide cockney rhyming slang but many are modern additions. I once had to do an essay on poetry in high school so I did it on rhyming slang just to be awkward. The most reasonable idea for where it originated was among criminals in London in the 1800's who used it to pass information to each other so their plans wouldn't be rumbled or overheard. I'm not sure why it entered into the english vocabulary in such a big way, maybe cos it's such a convoluted way to describe things and we like stuff like that in the UK.

  • ballistic
    ballistic

    I guess a modern day equivalent is the terms used to describe drugs over mobile phones. You don't phone someone up and say "please can I order 5 grams of cannibis" do you? Its all rhyming slang, just not cockney anymore,.

  • El Kabong
    El Kabong

    This is such an interesting thread.

    I've heard about the rhyming slang, and heard it referred to on certain British Comedy shows that are shown here in the US. But, for the most part, it was always over my head. For example, "How 'bout a cup of rosy". I knew it referred to tea, but I thought it referred to a particular type of tea, not tea in general. I could never figure out what the heck "Butchers" referred to until now.

    Thanks for posting this. I love the English culture. I really hope and wish that I could visit England one day.

  • Stephanus
    Stephanus

    As the original settlers in Oz were from London's East End (at his majesty's pleasure), we also have a heritage of rhyming slang. Some I can think of off hand:

    Adrian (Quist) = pissed (drunk)

    Joe (Blake) = snake

    merchant (banker) = wanker

    Seppo = septic (tank) = Yank (I've got a feeling that's been "borrowed" from us by the Poms)

    Captain (Cook) = look

    Reggies = Reg (Grundys) = undies

    One's we share with the Poms (and already mentioned):

    frog (and toad) = road

    plate (of meet) = feet

    china (plate) = mate

    trouble (and strife) = wife

  • New Worldly Translation
    New Worldly Translation
    "How 'bout a cup of rosy".

    If I remember correctly that came from Gypsy Rose Lee = Tea. She was a famous medium and psychic in Victorian England

  • Preston
    Preston
    If I remember correctly that came from Gypsy Rose Lee = Tea. She was a famous medium and psychic in Victorian England

    Thought she was a stripper. Oh, the sexual double entendres! Off for a couple of Britneys

    - Preston

  • New Worldly Translation
    New Worldly Translation

    Yeah you're right Preston she was a stripper!

    Cheers for clarifying that. Wouldn't want her family sueing me for libel for calling her a psychic instead of a strip artist.

    Where the hell did I get psychic from anyway... maybe I'm channeling Mystic Meg or something.

  • stillajwexelder
    stillajwexelder

    That is a nice TITFER you are wearing e-man

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