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 G.


Gamma ray: (UK) Gamma ray = stray


Gang and mob: (UK) Gang and mob = gob (mouth)


Garden gate: (UK) Garden gate = magistrate


Gary Glitter: (UK) Gary Glitter = shitter (anus) Gary Glitter was a pop star from the 1970s.


Gary Neville: (UK) Gary Neville= levelGary Neville is an English football player.


Gary Player: (UK) Gary Player = all dayer (all day drinking session) Gary Player was a famous golfer.


Gawd's truth: Gawd's truth = roof(Gawd = God)


Geoff Hurst: (UK) Geoff Hurst = first (first class honours degree from a university) Geoff Hurst was a footballer.


George and Zippy: (UK) George and Zippy = nippy (cold- usually when talking about the weather) George and Zippy were in a British TV programme for children.


Germaine Greer: (UK) Germaine Greer = beerGermaine Greer is a feminist writer.


Ginger beer: (UK) Ginger beer = queer (gay)


Gipsy's kiss: (UK) Gipsy's kiss = piss


Glen Campbell: (UK) Glen Campbell = gamble (noun) Glen Campbell is a country singer


Glen Hoddle: (UK) Glen Hoddle = doddle (very easy) Glen Hoddle was a footballer.


Gordon Brown: (UK) Gordon Brown = clown (meaning 'idiot') Gordon Brown is a British politician.


Gregory Peck: (UK) Gregory Peck = neck


Grovesnor Squares: (UK) Grovesnor Squares = flares (flared trousers)


Gypsy Nell: (UK) Gypsy Nell = hell

Cockney Rhyming Slang Index