Cockney Rhyming Slang
Scott McIntyre
I would be interested in getting as complete a list as possible of
the various bits of Cockney Rhyming Slang that exists out there...
My fiancee was born in London, but moved out immediately, the only
bits she can remember is Trouble and Strife or something like that...
Either email or post...doesn't matter.
Scott
.
--
mcin...@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk Scott A. McIntyre
SAMc...@uk.ac.exeter.exua Cornwall House
S_MCI...@uk.ac.lut.hicom St. Germans Road
mcint...@uk.ac.exeter Exeter, Devon, UK
David Scott McAnally
>I would be interested in getting as complete a list as possible of
>the various bits of Cockney Rhyming Slang that exists out there...
>
>My fiancee was born in London, but moved out immediately, the only
>bits she can remember is Trouble and Strife or something like that...
Surely a good way would be to get all episodes of 'Minder' together.
I remember a few, eg,
Dog (and bone): phone
Plates (of meat): feet
Boat (race): face
North-and-South: mouth
Jam jar: car
Tea leaf (heard this on 'Alas Smith and Jones'): Thief
and, of course, the infamous Bristols. A few will probably come back
to me later. Could someone please explain the origins of 'monkey'
and 'pony', and how much money they represent?
David McAnally
kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp
"One cannot prove this, but it _is_, in the same sense that Mount
Everest _is_, and Alma Cogan _isn't_."
Logician: The Album of the Sound Track of the Trailer
of the Film of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
David Scott McAnally
>I remember a few, eg,
>
> Dog (and bone): phone
> Plates (of meat): feet
> Boat (race): face
> North-and-South: mouth
> Jam jar: car
> Tea leaf (heard this on 'Alas Smith and Jones'): Thief
>
>and, of course, the infamous Bristols. A few will probably come back
>to me later. Could someone please explain the origins of 'monkey'
>and 'pony', and how much money they represent?
Another one just did come back to me:
Sky (rocket): pocket (Heard this one in the same Smith and Jones
sketch)
I was just thinking: I remember an episode of 'Minder' where Arfur says to
Terry: "I come here and find a comely Richard in a well known bird bandit's
flat." How did 'Richard' come to mean 'bird' or girl? Typing 'bird' makes
me wonder: how did "bird" and "porridge" come to mean a prison sentence?
How did "He's got form" come to mean "He's got a (prison) record"?
David McAnally
kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp
"If she weighs the same as a duck, she's made of wood."
Villager: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
John Slater - Sun UK - Gatwick SE - Graphics Ambassador
|>
[ examples of rhyming slang deleted ]
|> and, of course, the infamous Bristols.
While we're on body parts don't forget "hampton" (as in Hampton Wick, Surrey)
Gives a whole new meaning to "Hampton Court" (ouch!)
John Slater
Sun Microsystems, Gatwick Office
Peter Scott/Order Unit Manager/U of Saskatchewan Library/6016
toilets? i.e. "jakes", "loo", "karzee" (spelling?). The latter
commonly heard in "Minder".
Mindy
> the various bits of Cockney Rhyming Slang that exists out there..
My husband is a Londoner, albeit from Hampstead, but he offers these
selections:
Whistle and Flute: Suit
Apple and Pears: Stairs
Plates of Meat: Feet
Borasic Lint: Skint
Elephant's Trunk: Drunk
Brahms and Liszt: Pissed
Gold Watch: Scotch
Cobbler's Awls: Balls
Hampstead Heath: Teeth
Mindy Wallis
Institute for the Learning Sciences
Northwestern University
wal...@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu
Chris Dalton
Richard III ... bird ?
> how did "bird" and "porridge" come to mean a prison sentence?
jail-bird, or bird in a cage? Porridge refers to the traditional breakfast.
> How did "He's got form" come to mean "He's got a (prison) record"?
By analogy to a race-horse's form (track record)?
Chris
Andrew J. Greenshields N3IGS
>
>I was just thinking: I remember an episode of 'Minder' where Arfur says to
>Terry: "I come here and find a comely Richard in a well known bird bandit's
>flat." How did 'Richard' come to mean 'bird' or girl? Typing 'bird' makes
>me wonder: how did "bird" and "porridge" come to mean a prison sentence?
>How did "He's got form" come to mean "He's got a (prison) record"?
I thought that a 'Richard' went thus...
Richard --> Richard the Third --> turd
--
Andrew J. Greenshields N3IGS | "We call him Neutron because he`s so positive."
dxa...@cyber.widener.edu | Female scientist in This Island Earth
dxa...@cs.widener.edu | ****** STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY ******
===============================================================================
Rod Williams
> Dog (and bone): phone
> Plates (of meat): feet
> Boat (race): face
> North-and-South: mouth
> Jam jar: car
> Tea leaf (heard this on 'Alas Smith and Jones'): Thief
>
> ...Could someone please explain the origins of 'monkey'
>and 'pony', and how much money they represent?
Hmmm...not sure about 'monkey' or any connection with money, but I
always thought 'pony' was:
pony (and trap): crap
and while in a scatological vein, let's not forget:
cobbler(')s (awls): balls
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R O D W I L L I A M S P A C I F I C * B E L L
S A N F R A N C I S C O , C A L I F O R N I A
================================================================================
Rod Williams
> ...How did 'Richard' come to mean 'bird' or girl?
Richard (the Third): bird!
--
David Scott McAnally
>In article <MCANALLY.9...@kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp>, mcan...@kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp (David Scott McAnally) writes:
>|>
>
>[ examples of rhyming slang deleted ]
>
>|> and, of course, the infamous Bristols.
>
>While we're on body parts don't forget "hampton" (as in Hampton Wick, Surrey)
The serial in the first series of "The Two Ronnies" was called "Hampton
Wick", I think (Actually, I am quite positive).
David McAnally
kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp
"Other kings said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp."
King of Swamp Castle: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
David Scott McAnally
How about "dunny"? I always imagined "karzee" as "kaze", short
for "kamikaze" (not sure about rhyming slang here though).
David Scott McAnally
>Whistle and Flute: Suit
>Plates of Meat: Feet
>Borasic Lint: Skint
>Brahms and Liszt: Pissed
These four I remember from "Minder". I wonder why not the others.
Actually, I think that "skint" and pissed" are slang in their own
right. Now, where did they come from?
I am thankful at last to find out why "Borasic" means "skint".
David McAnally
kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp
"If she weighs the same as a duck, she's made of wood."
Villager: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
David Scott McAnally
>> How did 'Richard' come to mean 'bird' or girl?
>
>Richard III ... bird ?
Yes. I seem to remember hearing this once, but it got lost in the
dark recesses of my memory.
Thanks for the other info, too. They all look like the right explanation.
David McAnally
kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp
"Well, Ah'll be hornswoggled!"
"Look, your personal habits are of no interest to us."
US Major and Graeme Garden: The Goodies (Clown Virus)
Simon Patience
>and 'pony', and how much money they represent?
A pony is 25 quid but don't ask me why. I have no idea about monkey.
Simon.
Simon Patience
Open Software Foundation Phone: +33-76-63-48-72
Research Institute FAX: +33-76-51-05-32
2 Avenue De Vignate Email: s...@gr.osf.org
38610 Gieres, France uunet!gr.osf.org!sp
Jeremy
Perhaps some of the more venerable members of this group could dig out
the FAQ list made last year which covers Cockney slang, whether Jersey
is part of the UK, the Full and True Name of Britain, what is going to
happen in Hong Kong, and all et seq.
--
jeremy..IASBS Department of Unnamed Departments e...@psuvm.psu.edu
I was good--I could talk a mile a minute on this caffeine buzz I was on..
raymond.d.smith
here's some that i remember....
apples and pears: stairs
Hank Marvin (singer in The Shadows (?): starvin'
and North of the Border
Corned beef: deif (deafd)
Pan breid (bread): deid (dead)
C'mon you Cockneys, give us the canonical list!
Cheers,
Ray
Hazel Sydeserff
|> In article <MCANALLY.9...@kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp> mcan...@kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp (David Scott McAnally) writes:
|> I was just thinking: I remember an episode of 'Minder' where Arfur says to
|> Terry: "I come here and find a comely Richard in a well known bird bandit's
|> flat." How did 'Richard' come to mean 'bird' or girl? Typing 'bird' makes
|> me wonder: how did "bird" and "porridge" come to mean a prison sentence?
|> How did "He's got form" come to mean "He's got a (prison) record"?
Richard = Richard the Third => bird (OR turd!)
porridge - maybe it comes from "stir"? "To be in stir" = "to be in prison"?
--
==============================================================================
Hazel Sydeserff |"What sad times are these when passing
Centre for Speech Technology Research | ruffians can say `Ni!' at will to
80, South Bridge, EDINBURGH EH1 1HN | old ladies." - Roger the Shrubber, MPHG
Ian Camm
One I've heard was Raspberry ripple (as in the ice-cream) - I think this
is obvious, and 'cause I'm shy I'll not post the meaning. Though if you
can't figure it out mail me.
Cheers,
Ian
--
Ian Camm | JANET: ca...@uk.ac.man.ee.els
Dept. of Electrical Engineering | ARPA: ca...@els.ee.man.ac.uk
University of Manchester, England | UUCP: ...!!ukc!man.ee.els!camm
Disclaimer: If you think I need one make it up yourself.
Spencer Shanson
Tit for (Tat) - Hat
Frog (and Toad) - Road
Butcher's (Hook) - Look
Rosy (Lee) - Tea
I think all the others I know have already been mentioned.
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spencer Shanson - Amiga Software Engineer | email: spe...@commodore.COM
| or uunet!cbmvax!spence
All opinions expressed are my own, and do not | Bix: sshanson
(necessarily) represent those of Commodore. | "Render? I hardly even
| know her!"
Rod Williams
>for "kamikaze" (not sure about rhyming slang here though).
Don't think so. I've usually seen it spelled "khazi", and
suspect it derives from Her Imperial Majesty's sojourn on
the Indian subcontinent...
David Scott McAnally
>and, of course, the infamous Bristols.
I was thinking: what about the expression "Ship shape and Bristol
fashion". Obviously not the same Bristol as above, so what does
'Bristol' mean, and what is its origin?
David McAnally
kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp
"Allow me to elucidate."
"You do, and you clean it up yourself."
Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie: The Goodies
David Scott McAnally
>Tit for (Tat) - Hat
>Butcher's (Hook) - Look
Back on "Minder", these two were also there. I also remember an
episode of "Dempsey and Makepeace" (which was being shown HERE at
one stage, believe it or not) in which Makepeace was teaching
Dempsey rhyming slang, and I think titfer was one of them.
David McAnally
kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp
"Other kings said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp."
King of Swamp Castle: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
ian taylor
>In article <C21D721C...@SASK.USask.CA> SC...@SKLIB.USASK.CA (Peter Scott/Order Unit Manager/U of Saskatchewan Library/6016) writes:
>
>How about "dunny"? I always imagined "karzee" as "kaze", short
>for "kamikaze" (not sure about rhyming slang here though).
>
>David McAnally
>kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp
The version I heard was that the word 'Kharzi' was picked up by British
soldiers in Africa during the Boer and Zulu wars, it being taken from the
Zulu word for toilet. Dunny, I think is an Australian word - any Aussies want
to elaborate or it?
--Ian
_______________________________________________________________________________
| Ian Taylor (x4097) | The opinions expressed | "Loosen up.... |
| Crosfield Electronics | here are not mine. | ....loose enough" |
| Hemel Hempstead, UK | God came to me in | |
| | a vision and told me | Submission, |
| i...@cel.co.uk | to do it. | Fields Of The Nephilim |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Breen
>
> Don't think so. I've usually seen it spelled "khazi", and
> suspect it derives from Her Imperial Majesty's sojourn on
> the Indian subcontinent...
I give up. Just when did little Vicky go to India? I thought her
grandson (AKA George V) was the first royal to get there.
--
Jim Breen AARNet:j...@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au
Department of Robotics & Digital Technology.
Monash University. PO Box 197 Caulfield East VIC 3145 Australia
(ph) +61 3 573 2552 (fax) +61 3 573 2745 JIS:$B%8%`!!%V%j!<%s(J
Hazel Sydeserff
|>
|> >and, of course, the infamous Bristols.
|>
|> I was thinking: what about the expression "Ship shape and Bristol
|> fashion". Obviously not the same Bristol as above, so what does
|> 'Bristol' mean, and what is its origin?
Oh boy. Our wit is lost on these people.
Bristol CITY, okay?
Work it out from there... }8^o
Bruce Munro
>Tit for (Tat) - Hat
>Frog (and Toad) - Road
>Butcher's (Hook) - Look
>Rosy (Lee) - Tea
>
>I think all the others I know have already been mentioned.
Syrup (of Figs) - Wig
Daisy (Roots) - Boots
--
Bruce Munro. <br...@tcom.stc.co.uk> || ...!mcsun!ukc!stc!bruce
BNR Europe Ltd, Oakleigh Rd South, London N11 1HB.
Phone : +44 81 945 2174 or +44 81 945 4000 x2174
"There are no strangers, only friends we don't recognise" - Hank Wangford
P E Smee
>
>I was thinking: what about the expression "Ship shape and Bristol
>fashion". Obviously not the same Bristol as above, so what does
>'Bristol' mean, and what is its origin?
A few odd centuries ago, Bristol was one of the major British ports
involved in trade with the 'New World'. According to Brewer's
Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, the phrase you ask about was a
reference to 'the port of Bristol's reputation for efficiency in the
days of sail'.
Has overtones of 'a place for everything and everything in its place',
'all systems go', that sort of thing.
--
Paul Smee, Computing Service, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
P.S...@bristol.ac.uk - ..!uunet!ukc!bsmail!p.smee - Tel +44 272 303132
David H. West
>
>
>I was thinking: what about the expression "Ship shape and Bristol
>fashion". Obviously not the same Bristol as above, so what does
>'Bristol' mean, and what is its origin?
Same city, different meaning. It dates from the time when Bristol was a
major port and had its act together.
Then there's the French meaning of Bristol: a business card.
-David West d...@iti.org
Alan Waldock
>Daisy (Roots) - Boots
Haven't seen "Peckham (Rye) - Tie" go past yet...
-- Alan Waldock, from but not on behalf of Intel Corporation
a...@watson.hf.intel.com ...uunet!intelhf!watson!ajw
The Polymath
I've also heard this as Ball and Bat.
Some others:
Half inch -- pinch (steal)
China plate -- mate
Trouble and strife -- wife
--
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: holl...@ttidca.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp Illegitimis non
3100 Ocean Park Blvd. (213) 450-9111, x2483 Carborundum
Santa Monica, CA 90405 {rutgers|pyramid|philabs|psivax}!ttidca!hollombe
Steve Austin
->>I think all the others I know have already been mentioned.
I'm suprised that (as far as I can see) nobody has mentioned:
Trouble (and strife) - wife
(I'm just reporting this one, OK)
Steve Austin
Hazel Sydeserff
^^^^^^^^^^^^
believe
Spencer Shanson
Pen (and Ink) - stink
"Cor Blimey - I don' 'arf Pen in 'ere"
mck...@ul.ie
> Can someone explain the meaning/history of words relating to
> toilets? i.e. "jakes", "loo", "karzee" (spelling?). The latter
> commonly heard in "Minder".
are not strictly rhyming slang, but strongly associated with it.
Other such well known words are char=tea and khaki=battle camouflage
(the latter is now a respectable dictionary word)
They are Hindi words from the British Raj, brought home by the
soldiers, and form a colourful thread in our common language.
Perhaps I should mention that khaki and khazi are related in that
both refer to shit.
Another well-known soldiers' import is plonk=cheap wine, from the
French blanc.
Any imports from the Gulf yet?
--
John McKeon, Material Science Dept. University of Limerick, Ireland
also Sysop of STYX RBBS Limerick +353-61-332229 FidoNet 2:253/171
David Scott McAnally
>I'm suprised that (as far as I can see) nobody has mentioned:
>
> Trouble (and strife) - wife
Wasn't this one mentioned in the original post?
David Scott McAnally
Thanks for the info. I'm glad someone out there had the insight to realise
what I was asking.
David Scott McAnally
>In article <MCANALLY.9...@kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp>, mcan...@kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp (David Scott McAnally) writes:
>|>
>|> >and, of course, the infamous Bristols.
>|>
>|> I was thinking: what about the expression "Ship shape and Bristol
>|> fashion". Obviously not the same Bristol as above, so what does
>|> 'Bristol' mean, and what is its origin?
>
>Oh boy. Our wit is lost on these people.
>Bristol CITY, okay?
>Work it out from there... }8^o
I KNEW that. Reread my post. I was asking about "Ship shape and Bristol
fashion". After all, I was the one who mentioned the more standard Bristols
in the _first_ place.
SWE...@esoc.bitnet
Current bun - Sun (newspaper)
John Selwyn (Gummer) - Bummer
Bustbin Lid -}
Silvery Moon - }-- work these ones out
Maccaroon -}
Septic Tank - Yank
Dog Fight - Light (as in Got a dog mate - For a --
Oily Rag - Fag
Dirty Slag - Fag
Sherman Tank - Bank
Seb
Wot does come from that way.
Tom Gardner
Don't say that near my wife: she'd clock you.
In the north pass rhymes with ass.
KOJIMA Kenji
My name is Kenji Kojima. I'm a native speaker of Japanese.
Well, we use "char" and "khaki" in our every day life:
"char" means tea in japanese as in English, and "khaki" is a
name of a colour (some where between yellow and brown).
I've ever heard that "khaki" is originated in Hindi language,
but I think the word "char" is from Chinese.
I'm surprised to find that these words are also used in English.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
- KENJI KOJIMA: `Dracula` is my nickname -
- Meson Science Laboratory, Faculty of Science, the University of Tokyo -
- d_c...@tkyvax.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gareth Beale
>
>->>I think all the others I know have already een mentioned.
>
>I'm suprised that (as far as I can see) nobody has mentioned:
>
> Trouble (and strife) - wife
>
>
> Steve Austin
syrup (of fig) - wig
'taters (in the mold) - cold
Harry Lime - time
Currant bun - sun
Khyber (pass) - ass (pronounced arse, of course)
Barnet (fair) - hair
Jam jar - car
Oily rag - fag (cigarette)
North and South - mouth
Berk(eley Hunt) - c**t (calling someone a berk is a bit more
offensive than most people realize!)
titfer (short for tit-for-tat) - hat
half-inch - pinch (steal)
That's about exhausted my memory on the subject!
John Francis
[ discussion of indian linguistic influence deleted ]
>Another well-known soldiers' import is plonk=cheap wine, from the
>French blanc.
>Any imports from the Gulf yet?
I don't know of any recent gulf imports, but you neglected another great
source of army slang - the Egyptian and general Arabic influence from the
second world war. Just one example (from the last life of this thread):
"shufti bint", which was exquisitely translated to "check out the babe".
David Scott McAnally
>I don't know of any recent gulf imports, but you neglected another great
>source of army slang - the Egyptian and general Arabic influence from the
>second world war. Just one example (from the last life of this thread):
>"shufti bint", which was exquisitely translated to "check out the babe".
Does this explain both 'shufti' and 'bint' (as in "I mean, if I went around
sayin' I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a
scimitar at me they'd put me away!" -- Dennis, 'Monty Python and the Holy
Grail')?
David McAnally
kurims.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp
"One cannot prove this, but it _is_, in the same sense that Mount
Everest _is_, and Alma Cogan _isn't_."
Logician: The Album of the Sound Track of the Trailer
of the Film of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
JHenderson
#but I think the word "char" is from Chinese.
#I'm surprised to find that these words are also used in English.
The word for the brown drink seems to be more or less the
same in ANY language - char tchai tsai tea etc etc
--
--Jeremy
--<egp...@castle.ed.ac.uk>
...........I don't love you since you ate my dog..........
Peter Brooks
It is not usually polite to use both words in the same sentence - khaki
char is normally a result of a sad domestic accident that ought not to
be raised in polite society.
Peter Brooks
The Polymath
}In article <1991Jun7.1...@tcom.stc.co.uk> br...@tcom.stc.co.uk (Bruce Munro) writes:
}
}>Daisy (Roots) - Boots
}
}Haven't seen "Peckham (Rye) - Tie" go past yet...
This one was mentioned in the big listing, but not with the meaning
I've always heard associated with it:
Khyber Pass -- Arse
(Apologies to the delicate of constitution. (-: )
Peter Kendell
Berk - Berkshire Hunt - (use your imagination)
And folk think it's such a *mild* expression!
Peter
The Polymath
}Sherman Tank - Bank
Another one I haven't seen here yet:
Barclay's Bank -- wank (masturbate)
Trevor Kirby
In article <26...@ttidca.TTI.COM>, holl...@ttidca.TTI.COM (The Polymath) writes:
>In article <91162.134...@ESOC.BITNET> SWE...@ESOC.BITNET writes:
>
>}Sherman Tank - Bank
>
>Another one I haven't seen here yet:
>
>Barclay's Bank -- wank (masturbate)
>
Diverting slightly my favorite collective noun is a wunch of bankers. Come in
reverend spooner your time is up.
Trev
Bruce Munro
>NET>
>Organization: The Cat Factory
>Lines: 13
>
>In article <91162.134...@ESOC.BITNET> SWE...@ESOC.BITNET writes:
>
>}Sherman Tank - Bank
>
>Another one I haven't seen here yet:
>
>Barclay's Bank -- wank (masturbate)
and of course:
merchant banker - wanker
I've also heard Sherman (and Chieftain) used to mean "wank". Context
should just about enable one to work out which meaning applies.
The Polymath
}Diverting slightly my favorite collective noun is a wunch of bankers. ...
Thanks, I'll remember that one. (-:
My favorite is the collective noun for "senior COBOL programmer":
A _load_ of old COBOLers.
(Apologies to Stan Kelley-Bootle. That comes from _The Devil's DP
Dictionary_).
Francis Muir
My favorite collective is that for "senior COBOL programmer":
A _load_ of old COBOLers.
(Apologies to Stan Kelley-Bootle. That comes from _The Devil's DP
Dictionary_).
Ah, Stan Kelley-Bootle. The name alone defines a small corner of British
Culture. He has a column in one of the American Computer Monthlies --- can
someone remind me which one? Is it Dr. Dobbs? SKB is a knowledgeable and
stylish old fart whose work is a beacon in an otherwise dreary discipline.
Fido
Frank Barnes
> The word for the brown drink seems to be more or less the
> same in ANY language - char tchai tsai tea etc etc
.. Where I come from they used to call the brown drink
Newcastle Brown Ale!.
rha...@phloem.uoregon.edu
The Unix Review. Worth finding just to read his column "Devil's Advocate".
A must read for anyone in computing, not just unix hackers. Non computing types
will enjoy some of it as well. Sort of like "Twin Peaks'. The more you know,
the more you get, but rewarding for anyone.