What or who is a Cockney?
A cockney traditionally is a person born within hearing
distance of the sound of Bow bells, meaning within the sound of the bells of
the Church of St Mary Le Bow in Cheapside, London, and refers to an East London
accent, however to most people living outside London the term Cockney means a
Londoner.
What is Cockney Rhyming Slang?
Cockney Rhyming slang is a coded language invented in the
nineteenth century by Cockneys so they could speak in front of the police
without being understood. It uses a phrase that rhymes with a word, instead of
the word itself – thus ‘stairs’ becomes ‘apples and pears’, ‘phone’
becomes ‘dog and bone'.
Somes examples:
Cockney
|
Meaning
|
Example
|
Adam and Eve
|
Believe
|
I don't Adam and Eve it!
|
Apples and Pears
|
Stairs
|
Get yer Bacons up the Apples and Pears.
|
Army and Navy
|
Gravy
|
Pass the Army and Navy.
|
Artful Dodger
|
Lodger
|
I've got an Artful to help pay the rent.
|
Bacon and Eggs
|
Legs
|
You have got a lovely set of Bacons.
|
Barnet Fair
|
Hair
|
I have just got my Barnet chopped.
|
Brass bands
|
Hands
|
I shook him by the Brass.
|
Bread and Honey
|
Money
|
I wish I had loads of Bread.
|
Butcher's Hook
|
Look
|
Take a Butcher's at that!
|
Christian Slater
|
Later
|
See ya Slater.
|
Cream Crackered
|
Knackered (tired/broken)
|
I'm Cream Crackered!
|
Currant Bun
|
Sun
|
The Currant Bun's hot today.
|
Danny Marr
|
Car
|
I'll give you a lift in the Danny.
|
Dicky Bird
|
Word
|
He hasn't said a Dicky bird in hours.
|
Dog and Bone
|
Phone
|
She's always on the Dog.
|
Donkey's Ears
|
Years
|
Ain't seen you in Donkeys.
|
Ham'n'cheesy
|
Easy
|
Ham'n'cheesy does it.
|
Jam Jar
|
Car
|
Me Jam Jar's Cream Crackered.
|