Cockney Rhyming Slang (2)
Post by: Daniel on September 27th, 2009 | File Under LanguageLegend is that, as long as they are ‘things and diving,’ sometimes they will run afoul of law. It is not uncommon for groups of Cockneys will be transported together to and from custody and courtroom, clearly in the company of police. So that they can speak freely with one another and refuse any officer the ability to understand what they say, made Cockneys word / phrase association system that can only really follow-indoctinated. This became known as rhyming slang.
It’s simple, really. For example:
Dog-and-bone = telephone
Apples-and-pears = stairs
Problems and strife = wife
So, if you want to go to the top of the Cockney to tell his wife that there was a phone call to him, he will ask you to ‘take the apples and tell the trouble she’d like the dog. ” Read More »
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