Cockney Rhyming Slang
Cockney Rhyming Slang is a specialised form of slang used in the East of London. It is a kind of antilanguage where words are replaced by phrases that rhyme (sound the same): North and south = mouth Adam and Eve = believe Sometimes, the last word is dropped.
Why is Cockney Rhyming Slang called so?
A Cockney is a Londoner; the original definition was someone born near enough to hear the bells of Bow, which meant people in the east of the city. The word Cockney means the egg of a cockerel (male hen) and was meant as an insult, implying dishonesty in business deals by trying to sell non-existent or low quality goods, or so the story goes. The term is now used happily and proudly by the people of the east and north of London, who regard themselves as the 'real' Londoners in a very cosmopolitan city where a lot of the population have come in from other areas of the country or abroad.
As well as having a distinctive pronunciation and many grammatical features, the language of London is most notable for its Rhyming Slang. This consists of using a phrase that rhymes, sounds the same, as the word you want to say, so 'telephone' becomes 'dog and bone'. Unfortunately, many of the phrases then lose the second word, making it very hard for the outsider to guess the original meaning; 'rabbit' for 'talk' comes from the phrase 'rabbit and pork', but few would be able to guess it.
A lot of the original rhyming slang appeared among the market traders in the east end of London in the 19th century, but it is still used and new words and phrases are being invented all the time. At the moment, it is very fashionable to use famous people's names, so the DJ Pete Tong is used meaning 'wrong'- 'thing's have gone Pete Tong'.
Here is The List of Cockney Rhyming Slangs beginning with D.
Daisy roots: (UK) Daisy roots = boots "Nice daisies."
Dancing bears: (UK) Dancing bears = stairs
David Mellor: (UK) David Mellor = Stella (Stella Artois, a Belgian lager)David Mellor was a politician in the UK.
Davina McCalls: (UK) Davina McCalls = balls (testicles) Davina McCall is a TV personality.
Davy Crockett: (UK) Davy Crockett = pocket
Dennis Law: (UK) Dennis Law = draw (marijuana) Dennis Law was a footballer.
Derek Randall: (UK) Derek Randall = love handles (rolls of fat around the waist)Derek Randall was a cricketer.
Desmond Tutu: (UK) Desmond Tutu = 2ii (a lower second class honours degree from a university) Desmond Tutu is a South African churchman.
Dick Van Dyke: (UK) Dick Van Dyke = bike Dick Van Dyke is an actor.
Dicky dirt: (UK) Dicky dirt = shirt
Diet coke: (UK) Diet coke = joke
Dog and bone: (UK) Dog and bone = phone
Donald Duck: (UK) Donald Duck = fuck (usually as a noun) I had a Donald Duck with her last week.
Doner kebab: (UK) Doner kebab = to stab
Douglas Hurd: (UK) Douglas Hurd = third (when talking about university grades) Douglas Hurd = turd (stool, shit) Douglas Hurd was a British politician
Drum and bass: (UK) Drum and bass = place (home) Drum and bass = face
Duchess of Fife: (UK) Duchess of Fife = wife
Dutch plate: (UK) Dutch plate = mate (friend) Normally used in the phrase 'me ol' Dutch' (my old friend) 'China' can be used as a substitute for Dutch, and is more common
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