Cockney Rhyming Slang Is À La Mode

Trainspotting, 1996

Rhyming slang also traveled very easily into areas with heavy UK maritime traffic in the nineteenth century. Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and even the US have their own area-specific rhyming slang!

Australia: Steak and Kidney = Sydney
Ireland: Flowers and Frolics = Bollocks (Irish accent, “Bollicks”)
Scotland: Corned Beef = Deaf (Scottish accent, “Deif”)
United States: Eighty Six = Nix

So far rhyming slang has shown itself to be a pliable, if slippery code, with the ability to finger someone right off. Are they potential friendlies or outsiders? If friendlies, where are they from? If gadabouts, just how much do they get around?

Hey, first let’s drop the rhyming word, mate! Now what else could be done to layer the slang and add further confusion? How about rhyming phrases with multiple meanings? OH CHRIST!

To illustrate, two terms are given below.

Andy McNab. . .
Kebab: “I’m gonna nosh an Andy”
Cab: “I’m getting Andy McNabbed home”
Crabs/STD: “She’ll give you a right case of the Andys!”

Al Capone/Al Caponed. . .
Telephone: “She keeps rabbiting on the Al Capone!”
Stoned/High: “Are we getting Al Caponed tonight?”

What else could these clever fuckers come up with to confuse outsiders’? Well, why not combine a non-rhyming phrase word with another word, while still keeping the original meaning of the slang? Dandy, let’s do just that!!

Septic Tank = Yank (Americans)

OK. That’s easy enough right? But how did that slang morph into this phrase?

“I hate that George Bush and them! Are you antiseptic too?”

Septic Tank = Yank
Anti + Septic = Antiseptic = Anti=American

And you thought it was hard to get hip to RLMFAO!

Rhyming slang has been quite glamorized, with modern film, television, and literature all keeping it alive and thriving with every current generation. New additions are continuously being considered, added, used, dropping out of favor, or coming back again. Also there is a constant turnover on slang using a known person’s name.

The slang changes as the people used in it fade out, then someone else’s name becomes the popular usage. Rhyming slang hangs on in the countries mentioned earlier; even in the US, gypsies, travelers, or carnies use their own form of rhyming slang.

With no indication of this private language dying out, why don’t you step in and get down? I’ll leave you with a few modern examples to harass and annoy your friends with.

Lest you forget, the entire concept of this slang is that it’s fluid, customizable, and set up for you to start knocking out phrases of your own. Really, it’s the truest DIY concept I can think of!

Blimey! Get yaahr Bottled Glmyleene Klass movin’ an’ make up yaahr Toblerone Crap Dang, nuff said, yeah?

(Get your ass moving and make up your own slang already!)

Wind and Kite = Website: “What’s that Wind and Kite again?”
Alexei Sayle = Email: “Send us an Alexei Sayle about it”
Patsy Cline = Line (of cocaine): “Give us a Patsy Cline, ya greedy bugger!”
Ace of Spades = AIDS: “You’ve been dealt the Ace of Spades?!”
Bubble Bath = Laugh: “We had a right Bubble Bath at her party!”
Scooby Doo = Clue: “Aww, get a Scooby Doo, mate!”
Adam and the Ants = Pants: “Shite! I’ve nutted on my Adam and the Ants!”
Skyrocket = Pocket: “Whatcha holding in yer skyrocket?”
Advice From Mother = Rubber (condom): “Didja use your Advice From Mother with that slag?”
Bristol Cities = Titties: “Got your Ivory Bands (hands) on her Bristol Cities yet?”
All Time Loser = Boozer (pub): “See ya at the All Time Loser.”
Creamcrackered = Knackered (exhausted): “I’m creamcrackered from the flight.”
Andrew WK = Gay: “Stop being so Andrew WK!” (Good example of specific name usage; this will vary wildly.)

For even more rhyming slang, go to Page Four of this article.

Pages: 1 2 3 4