Rhyming slang

Rhyming slang is a form of slang in which a word is referred to by another word or term that rhymes with it. Rhyming slang exists to an extent in many languages. In English, rhyming slang is strongly associated with Cockney speech from the East End of London.

Overview

Traditional Cockney rhyming slang works by taking two words that are related through a short phrase and using the first word to stand for a word that rhymes with the second. For instance, the most popular of these rhyming slang phrases used nationwide is probably "telling porkies" meaning "lies" as "pork pies" rhymes with lies. Also "boat" meaning "face" as "boat race" rhymes with face. Similarly "plates" meaning "feet" ("plates of meat"), and bread means "money" (bread and honey).

The origins of rhyming slang are disputed. It remains a matter of speculation as to whether it was a linguistic accident or whether it was developed intentionally to confuse non-locals. If deliberate, it might have simply been used to maintain a sense of community; or to be used in the marketplace for vendors to talk amongst themselves without customers knowing what they were saying; or it may have been used by criminals (see thieves' cant) to confuse the police.

In recent years the practice of dropping the rhyming word and using just the first word in the pair has become less common, as the slang has been used by people who don't understand the traditional rules. The bastardized form, in which the full phrase is used, is now assumed by many people to be Cockney rhyming slang. In its original context this form makes no sense since it does little to exclude outsiders. It was popularized by Cockney comedians for just that reason.

The proliferation of rhyming slang has meant many of its traditional expressions have passed into common language, and the creation of new ones (often ironically) is no longer restricted to Cockneys. Some substitutions have become relatively widespread in Britain, such as "have a butcher's" (which means to have a look, from "butcher's hook"), and these are often now used without awareness of their origins. Many English speakers are unaware that the term "use your loaf" is derived from "loaf of bread" meaning head. In the US many people talk about getting down to brass tacks (facts), which is possibly a phrase of rhyming slang origin. Some words are much less taboo than their etymology would suggest: many speakers would be horrified to learn that terms they use frequently, like "berk" (often used to mean "foolish person") and "cobblers" (often used to mean "what you just said is rubbish"), are actually from Berkeley Hunt, meaning "cunt," and "cobbler's awls", meaning "balls".

The non-native speaker needs to be cautious in using rhyming slang to "fit in". The extent of the use of the slang is often exaggerated; only a very few phrases are in everyday use. Many examples are only used by people who are discussing rhyming slang, or by people who are being ironic or are making up a term on the spot for a joke, often at the expense of the tourist. In addition, since the original purpose was to encode or disguise speech from the comprehension of bystanders, terms that become too 'well-known' still have a tendency to lose actual currency fairly quickly, putting whatever usage the slang enjoys into a constant flux.

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. The slang also exists in Ireland where a young man might say that he is "going on a garden with a Richard" = going on a garden gate = "date" with a Richard the Third = "bird" = "girl".

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

• The British comedy series Mind Your Language (1977) features a character (caretaker Sid) who uses Cockney rhyming slang extensively. The show also had a whole episode dedicated to Cockney rhyming slang.
• Musical artists such as Audio Bullys and The Streets use Cockney rhyming slang in almost all of their songs, while Cockney artists Chas & Dave regularly use Cockney rhyming slang in their songs. The UK punk scene of the late 70's brought along bands that glorified their working-class heritage: Sham 69 being a good example with their hit songs such as "The Cockney Kids are Innocent"; often audience members would chant the words "If you're proud to be a Cockney, clap your hands" in between 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. The idiom even briefly made an appearance in the UK-based DJ reggae music of the 80s, in the hit "Cockney Translation" by Smiley Culture; this was followed a couple of years later by Domenick & Peter Metro's "Cockney and Yardie".
• Classic rock band Deep Purple used Cockney rhyming slang in the title for the song "A Gypsy's Kiss", on their Perfect Strangers record: the title actually means "A piss".
• 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. Only Fools and Horses, 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 by which the slang is derived.
• The film It's All Gone Pete Tong (2004) takes its title from Cockney rhyming slang - Pete Tong meaning wrong (however in this case the entire phrase is common in British English slang).
• In the book Trainspotting, by Irvine Welsh, several of the characters use the phrase Joe Baksi to refer to a taxicab (taxi).
• The film The Limey (1999) features 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."

Wilson: Eddy... yeah, he's me new "china."

Elaine: What?

Wilson: "China plate"... "mate."

Wilson: I'm gonna 'ave a "butcher's" round the house.

Ed Roel: Who you gonna butcher?

Wilson: "Butcher's hook"... "look."

• In the film The Football Factory (2004) the character of Zebedee is berated for his occasional use of "that fucking muggy rhyming slang" by Billy Bright.
• Anthony Burgess uses rhyming slang as a part of the fictitious "Nadsat" dialect in his book A Clockwork Orange.
• In the Discworld novel Going Postal, rhyming slang is parodied with "Dimwell arrhythmic rhyming slang," which is like rhyming slang, but doesn't rhyme. An example of this is a wig being a prune, as wig doesn't, possibly by a complex set of unspoken rules, rhyme with "syrup of prunes." (In Britain a widely used example of real rhyming slang is syrup = syrup of fig(s) = wig).
• In the film Mr. Lucky (1943), Cary Grant's character teaches rhyming slang to his female companion. However the character describes this as Australian rhyming slang.
• On September 19, 2006, the comic strip Get Fuzzy introduced a new character: Mac Manc McManx, a manx cat and cousin of Bucky Katt. McManx uses a speech pattern heavily based around Cockney rhyming slang and other London slang, despite being from Manchester. These speech patterns often make it almost impossible for the other characters, especially Satchel, to understand him.
• The title character in the China Miéville novel King Rat (1998 novel) uses Cockney rhyming slang in the vast majority of his dialog.
• Ronnie Barker wrote a classic sketch for the comedy series "The Two Ronnies" in which a vicar delivers an entire sermon in rhyming slang, a large portion of which refers to a "small brown Richard the Third", which seems to mean turd, until he says that it flew back to its nest.
• Cockney rhyming slang is occasionally featured as a category on Jeopardy!.
• The Irish series of books and columns Ross O'Carroll-Kelly frequently uses variations on rhyming slang popular (or allegedly so) among members of the Dublin 4 population (for example, "battle cruiser" = "boozer").
• The Disney movie One Hundred and One Dalmatians features some Cockney rhyming slang by the two puppy thieves. Note that the rhyming word is also included, for example "A lovely pair of turtle doves".
• In Garth Ennis' The Boys, Billy Butcher refers to Americans as Septics, then explains "Septic Tank: Yank"
• On the London Weekend Television situation comedy from the 70's, No-Honestly, air-headed character Clara referred to one woman "with the big Birminghams." Her romantic partner, C.D., incredulous, asked her what she meant, not recognizing a valid rhyming slang reference (Birmingham City = Titty). Clara's explanation was, "Oh, C.D., it's rhyming slang - Birmingham town bosoms!" which, of course, neither rhymes nor is slang.
• In the new series of Doctor Who, in episode one of the 2nd season, "New Earth", originally broadcast on April 15, 2006, Cassandra (who is 'inhabiting' Rose's body) asks Chip how Rose speaks. He replies, "Old earth Cockney." She then uses several examples of Cockney rhyming slang, including "I'm proceeding up the apples and pears" (stairs) and "I just don't Adam and Eve it" (believe it).

Common examples

• Porkies = pork pies = lies
• Apples = apples and pears = stairs
• Barnet = Barnet Fair = hair
• Brass = Brass Flute = Prostitute
• Dog = dog and bone = telephone
• Jam = Jam jar = Car
• Water = Water bottle = throttle
• China = China plate = mate
• Pony = pony and trap = crap (to defecate)
• Saucepan = Saucepan Lid = Kid
• Frog = frog and toad = road
• Rosie = Rosie Lee = tea/gypsy
• J. Arthur = J. Arthur Rank = bank
• Trouble = trouble and strife = wife
• Tom = Tom Tit = Shit (to Defecate)
• Skin = Skin and blister = Sister

References

• Ayto, John. 2002. The Oxford Dictionary of Rhyming Slang. Oxford University Press.
• Franklyn, Julian. 1960. A Dictionary of Rhyming Slang. Routledge.
• Green, Jonathon. 2000. Cassell's Rhyming Slang. Cassell.
• Lillo, Antonio (full name, Antonio Lillo Buades). 1996. "Drinking and Drug-Addiction Terms in Rhyming Slang". In Comments on Etymology 25 (6): pp. 1-23.
• Lillo, Antonio. 1998. "Origin of Cockney Slang Dicky Dirt". In Comments on Etymology 27 (8): pp. 16-20.
• Lillo, Antonio. 1999. "More on Sausage and Mash 'Cash'". In Gerald L. Cohen and Barry Popik (eds.), Studies in Slang. Part VI. Peter Lang, pp. 87-89.
• Lillo, Antonio. 2000. "Bees, Nelsons, and Sterling Denominations: A Brief Look at Cockney Slang and Coinage". In Journal of English Linguistics 28 (2): pp. 145-172.
• Lillo, Antonio. 2001. "The Rhyming Slang of the Junkie". In English Today 17 (2): pp. 39-45.
• Lillo, Antonio. 2001. "From Alsatian Dog to Wooden Shoe: Linguistic Xenophobia in Rhyming Slang". In English Studies 82 (4): pp. 336-348.
• Lillo, Antonio. 2004. "A Wee Keek at Scottish Rhyming Slang". In Scottish Language 23: pp. 93-115.
• Lillo, Antonio. 2004. "Exploring Rhyming Slang in Ireland". In English World-Wide 25 (2): pp. 273-285.
• Lillo, Antonio. 2006. "Cut-down Puns". In English Today 22 (1): pp. 36-44.

See also

• British undergraduate degree classification slang
• Language game

External links

• Collection of Cockney slang
• Another collection
• Online dictionary of rhyming slang
• Cockney Alphabet
• Webster's Cockney Rhyming Slang-English Dictionary
• Cockney rhyming slang translator