British Words Translated

Cockney Rhyming Slang

Cockney stems from Parts of London and the people are instantly recognisable by their accents. Thus it is only fitting they created a sort of language of their own to match this; known as Cockney Rhyming Slang. Not a lot of people know the true origins of Cockney Rhyming slang (admittedly including me), however everyone in Britain is well aware of it. Everyone knows at least a few of the very well known ones like, 'Apples and pears' which means stairs. The concept is really easy and simple when you get the hang of it as the just words and their intended meanings rhyme.
Here are some examples:
Adam and Eve – believe
Alan Whickers – knickers
apples and pears – stairs
Artful Dodger – lodger
Ascot Races – braces
Aunt Joanna – piano
Baked Bean – Queen
Baker's Dozen – Cousin
Ball and Chalk – Walk
Barnaby Rudge – Judge
Barnet Fair – hair
Barney Rubble – trouble
Battlecruiser – boozer
bees and honey – money
bird lime – time (in prison)
Boat Race – face
Bob Hope – soap
bottle and glass – arse
Brahms and Liszt – pissed (drunk)
Brass Tacks – facts
Bread and Cheese – sneeze
Bread and Honey – money
Bricks and Mortar – daughter
Bristol City – breasts
Brown Bread – dead
Bubble and Squeak – Greek
Bubble Bath – Laugh
butcher's hook – a look
Chalfont St. Giles – piles
Chalk Farm – arm
china plate – mate (friend)
Cock and Hen – ten
Cows and Kisses – Missus (wife)
currant bun – sun (also The Sun, a British newspaper)
custard and jelly – telly (television)
Daisy Roots – boots
Darby and Joan – moan
Dicky bird – word
Dicky Dirt – shirt
Dinky Doos – shoes
dog and bone – phone
dog's meat – feet [from early 20th c.]
Duck and Dive – skive
Duke of Kent – rent
dustbin lid – kid
Elephant's Trunk – drunk
Fireman's Hose – nose
Flowery Dell – cell
Frog and Toad – road
Gypsy's kiss – piss
half-inch – pinch (to steal)
Hampton Wick – prick
Hank Marvin – starving
irish pig – wig
Isle of Wight – tights
jam-jar – car
Jayme Gibbs
Jimmy Riddle – piddle
joanna – piano (pronounced 'pianna' in Cockney)
Khyber Pass – arse
Kick and Prance – dance
Lady Godiva – fiver
Laugh n a joke – smoke
Lionel Blairs – flares
Loaf of Bread – head
loop the loop – soup
Mickey Bliss – piss
Mince Pies – eyes
Mork and Mindy – windy'
north and south – mouth
Orchestra stalls – balls
Pat and Mick – sick
Peckham Rye – tie
plates of meat – feet
Pony and Trap – crap
raspberry ripple – nipple
raspberry tart – fart
Roast Pork – fork
Rosy Lee – tea (drink)
Round the Houses – trousers
Rub-a-Dub – pub
Ruby Murray – curry
Sausage Roll – goal
septic tank – Yank
sherbert (short for sherbert dab) – cab (taxi)
Skin and Blister – sister
Sky Rocket – pocket
Sweeney Todd – flying squad
syrup of figs – wig (sic)
tables and chairs – stairs
tea leaf – thief
Todd Sloane – alone
Tom and Dick – sick
tom tit – shit
tomfoolery – jewellery
Tommy Trinder – window
trouble and strife – wife
two and eight – state (of upset)
Vera Lynn – gin
whistle and flute – suit (of clothes)