London Cockney Rhyming SlangAdam and Eve for 'believe'. eg "Would you Adam and Eve it mate !". afters - short for the term 'after hours' meaning drinking in a pub after official closing time. agro - short for aggravation or violence. eg "He was steaming drunk and well up for some agro". Alan Whicker(s) - Rhyming Slang for 'knickers' all over the gaff/shop - general term to describe someone or something that has no direction or that is in a mess. allright / awright - a greeting literally meaning 'is everything all fine ?'. Usually used in the form "awright mate !". Annabel Giles - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'piles' (haemorrhoids). 'andsome - (handsome) - very good. eg "That's 'andsome mate" (That's great/brilliant). anorak - geek, nerd. A term that has been used since the 80's. An 'anorak' is always's male, unfashionable and possibly a 'trainspotter'. (Sir) Anthony Blunt - for 'cunt'. apple core - for 'score' (£20). apples and pears - for 'stairs'. A rather cliched Rhyming Slang term which is more often than not used in a sarcastic manner as if to emulate (or take the piss out of) cockney speech. I am forced to add this saying as I get a suggestion every couple of weeks for it. arching for it - (like a cat on heat) a term sometimes used to describe a young lady who is sexually fired up. Also see gagging for it. Aris(totle) - Rhyming Slang. This is a complex one. The meaning of the term 'Aris' is 'arse' (rear end). This derives from 'Aristotle' = short for the Rhyming Slang term 'bottle and glass' = 'arse'. arrows - the game darts - pron, "arras". arse - the word has developed over the past few years and can be used in a number of ways. The first meaning is obviously 'bottom' and is the English (and original) version of the American 'ass'. The more recent way of using the word is as an exclamation of annoyance, i.e.. when you do something clumsy or when things just don't go your way. Then you might simply say 'Arse !'. This almost definitely stems from UK TV shows like 'The Fast Show' and 'Father Ted'. Another meaning would be to simply refer to someone as an 'arse' as an insult. arse about / arsing about - to fool around. eg. "Stop arsing around". arse- about- face - something that is in a mess. or crooked eg. "Look at the state of that shelf you just put up, it's all arse about face !". arseholed - very drunk. eg. "I got totally arseholed on Saturday night". arse- over- tit /- elbow - to fall over in a dramatic fashion. eg. "I'd had a bit to drink you see and I just went arse- over- tit !". Aunt Annie - for 'fanny' (vagina). Ayrton Senna - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'tenner' (ten pound note). eg "I've only got an Aerton left to last me the month !".
B Baby giraffe - for 'half' of a pint of beer. backhander - a payment given, normally in a secretive fashion. ballistic - to go mad with rage. eg "He went totally ballistic". banged up - to be put in prison. eg "Did you hear John got banged up for that blag". bangers - another name for sausages. Originates from the fact that they explode when cooking if they are not pierced first. A traditional English meal is 'bangers and mash' (sausages + mashed potatoes). banging - a 'rave culture' term meaning exciting, powerful etc. Has replaced terms such as 'kicking' and 'slammin'. A typical example of the term being used would be when a clubber says a DJ was playing 'banging choons' (a lively full- on set). banjaxed - meaning drunk or stoned. eg "I feel really banjaxed". From the word 'banjax' - meaning to smash or destroy. Barclays bank - (normally shortened to 'Barclays'') - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'wank'. eg "Dave's a long time in the khazi, bet he's 'avin a Barclays' !". barf - to vomit. Also sometimes 'barf- up'. barmy - a foolish person, mad. "You must be barmy mate". Barnet fair - normally shortened to 'Barnet' - Rhyming Slang for 'hair'. eg "I'm 'avin my Barnet chopped on sa'aday !" (I'm having my hair cut on Saturday). barney - row, violent argument. battle cruiser - for 'boozer', meaning pub (public house). bean flicker - a lesbian. Likening the clitoris to a bean. Also 'to flick one's bean' is for a woman to masturbate. Suggested by Joanne Evert. bearded axe wound - vulgar term for the vagina. bearded clam - a vulgar term for a woman's sexual organs. beast - a common term used to describe an ugly bird. behave ! - pron. 'bee- ave'. Meaning 'sort yourself out', 'stop being silly'. Can be used in an agressive manner as if to say 'stop doing that, or else'. Also, in these post Austin Powers days can be 'oooh behave !". beef bayonet - a playful name for penis. beef curtains - another vulgar term for a woman's 'bits'. beer monster - a laddish heavy drinker (normally young). i.e. "Did you see Dave from accounts at the Christmas party ? That bloke is a complete beer monster !". bell - a telephone call. eg "give us a bell later" bell- end - end of penis. Comes from it's shape. Can be applied to a person as an insult "You total bell- end!". bender - this term can mean a drinking spree, or a gay bloke (in the latter case, short for 'gender bender'). bent - can mean 'gay man' or 'stolen'. ie "That bloke dahn the market sells bent goods". bent as a nine* pound/bob note - (* denomination varies widely) a term to describe someone thought to be gay. eg "(H)e's bent as a nine bob note mate" and also used to describe something that is illegal/crooked, ie. stolen goods. berk - Rhyming Slang, short for 'Berkshire Hunt', meaning 'cunt'. Most people go around calling people 'berks' for years not realising that it is slang for one of the strongest swear words in the English language. Bernie Flint - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'skint'. Not used anywhere near as much as boracic lint. biffa - large butch girl. big girl's blouse - a term that has more associations with the north of England, but is also used 'down south'. Normally used as a term to playfully ridicule a young man who is a bit soft and shy. The sort of thing your uncle might say to you. eg. "Come on, put your back into it you big girls blouse !". Billy - short for 'Billy Whizz' a character from an English children's comic (the Beano). 'Whizz' is another name for the drug 'speed'. ie. It makes you whizz. Billy no mates - this is a term I have heard from about four different unconnected people and is used to describe a sad bloke who has few friends. It can also be used describe yourself, ie. "I don't get out much these days, I'm Billy no mates me". bimbo - a young woman considered sexually attractive but of limited intelligence. From the Italian word for little child / baby. bird - probably the most common slang term for woman/girl/girlfriend. In prison slang a 'bird' is a prison sentence. eg. "He's doing 'is bird in Dartmoor". This comes from the Rhyming Slang term 'birdlime' meaning 'time'. bit of a knob - a general term of abuse. e.g. "He seems like a bit of a knob". Especially used when you don't really know someone but your initial impressions are that you don't like them. bit of awright / stuff / fluff - general term used by men to refer to an attractive young lady. bladdered - very drunk. eg. "he was completely bladdered" blag - slang word for a robbery (cor) blimey - corruption of the oath 'God blind me'. Used as an exclamation. Also used in the form "blimey O'Riley". blinding / blinder - used to describe something amazing or wonderful. eg "We 'ad a right blinding time last night dahn the pub". bloke - general term for a man of unknown name. eg. "Look at that bloke over there". Very common. blotto - a fairly old term for 'very drunk', pretty much replaced by newer terms. eg "I got totally blotto last night". blower - slang for telephone. eg. "I've got John on the blower". blow- job - the most common term for oral sex (on men). Can be shortened to 'blow'. blow- off - polite slang word for fart. bluey - pornographic film, normally a video. boat race - for 'face'. eg "She looks awright from behind, but you wanna see the boat mate". bob - shilling(s) in 'old' money. Now the 5p coin. bobble hat and scarf - Modern Rhyming Slang - for 'laugh'. I have also heard 'Bubble bath' used. Used in short form, eg "You're 'avin a bobble mate". Bobby - slang for policeman (from Robert Peel). Bob Hope - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'dope' (cannabis). i.e. "I'm off out to get some Bob". Bob's your uncle - This term may come from the Irish politician Balfour who in 1887 was unexpectedly promoted to the post of Chief Secretary for Ireland by his uncle Robert, Lord Salisbury. This stroke of nepotism is said to have inspired the term. The phrase is used as if to say "and so it is done". e.g. "You just turn on the power, hit the switch and Bob's your uncle". bone-on - another name for an erection. booze (up)/boozer - booze = drink ('bottle of booze', "lets go for a booze/booze- up ?"). boozer = pub/drunkard ("he's a right boozer", "lets go dahn the boozer"). From Middle Dutch 'busen', to drink to excess. Bo Peep - for 'sleep', normally in it's full form. Also in the cute form 'Bo Bo's'. borasic lint - for 'skint' (penniless). Used in it's short form, eg "I'm totally borasic !". bosh / boche - this general use term is not as fashionable as it once was. Used mainly together with a hand action such as a punch or painting a wall. eg "It won't take a second to do that son, just go bosh bosh bosh and Bob's yer uncle" bottle - courage, balls. eg "he lost his bottle", "he bottled out", "he's got a lot of bottle". The most common explanation of this term is that it comes from the Rhyming Slang 'bottle and glass' - 'arse'. ie. To loose ones bottle, to loose ones arse (incontinence produced by fear). bottler - someone who 'bottles' out, see above. botty boy - offensive slang for gay man. bovver - trouble, usually fighting. Also bovver boots - large lace- up boots worn by thugs (especially skinheads) and bovver boys- boys that cause the bovver mate ! box - this has many meanings such as television ("what's on the box ?") and vagina. Also out of your box and off your box are used for drunk or stoned. Brahms and Liszt - for ' pissed' (drunk), used in it's full form. brass (nail) - 'tail' meaning prostitute. Can be heard in 70's and 80's police drama's. brass monkeys - cold weather, as in "it's brass monkeys out there". Comes from the saying 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'. As far as I can see the debate on the origins of this one are still ongoing. Many sources say it comes from a old naval device for holding cannon balls (called a 'brass monkey'), others discount this. bread - slang for 'money'. From the Rhyming Slang 'bread and honey'. bread knife - for 'wife'. e.g. "How's the bread knife doin' mate ?". brew - slang for a cup of tea and sometimes a pint of beer. eg "Do you fancy a brew ?". brewers droop - a playful name given to male sexual incapasitance due to alcohol consumption. brill - short for 'brilliant'. A bit of a schoolboy term, although it is still used. Bristol's - Rhyming Slang, short for Bristol city, 'titty'. Therefore 'Bristol's' = 'titties' or 'tits'. Used in the term "She's big in the Bristol area". brown bread - for 'dead'. Used in it's full form. brown nose(r) / nosing - someone who is sycophantic, who 'licks arse' (how they get a brown nose). bubble and squeek - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'greek'. After the name of the dish which is left-over cabbage and potato fried up (usually for breakfast). A popular term for a person of Greek origin during the 80's. Usually shortened, i.e. "I'm sure Dave once told me he's dad was a bubble". bugger - a mild form of abuse or an exclamation. Used commonly and without worry about offending. eg "You crafty bugger !". Someone who is 'a bugger' is more likely to be 'cheeky' rather than a rogue. Other forms are: bugger- off (to tell someone to go away / to leave quickly) and bugger- all (nothing at all. eg "I've got bugger- all money left"). The term derives from the earlier sense, from someone who practices anal intercourse. bum bandit - slang term for gay man. bumhole engineer - vulgar term for a gay man. bum suck - to wet the end of a cigarette or joint when you smoke it. eg. A complaint made amongst smokers " Hey man don't bum it !". (a) bun in the oven - meaning pregnant. eg "Did you know she's got a bun in the oven ?". (to) bunk- off - to be absent without permission, usually used by children who miss days at school. (to do a) bunk - to make an escape, leave rapidly. eg. " Once Fred er'd the filth were onto him he dun a bunk". bunk- up - term for sexual intercourse. "'allo darlin, fancy a bunk- up!?". buns - bottom, usually used to refer to a mans behind by women. bush - another word for vagina. (the) business - seriously good/wicked/cool. eg "You wanna see Daves new motah,- it's the business !". butchers - , short for for 'butchers hook' meaning 'look'. A very common example of rhyming slang, usual examples are "give us a butchers" or "let's av a butchers".
Cabbage - sometimes used as an offensive or playful term for someone a bit slow or foolish. cabbaged - used for tired or stoned - eg. "I feel totally cabbaged". Can also be used for drunk. cack - faeces, rubbish. eg "What a load of old cack you talk sometimes !". cakehole - mouth. eg "Shove that in your cakehole !", "shut your cakehole !". caned - drunk or stoned. A popular 90's term. carpet muncher - lesbian. From the likeness (?) of a woman's pubic hair to a bit of carpet. Also 'rug muncher'. char / cha - tea. From Chinese cha. eg. "Oooh I'd luv a cup'a char". Chalfont St Giles - Modern Rhyming Slang , usually shortened to 'Chalfont's' meaning 'piles' (haemorrhoids). Chalfont St Giles is a town to the north west of London. Chang - meaning 'Charlie Chang' which in turn is a long form of Charlie, slang for cocaine. Charlie - widely used slang for cocaine. Sometimes also heard as 'Charles'. (a right) Charlie - short for 'Charlie Ronce' - Rh yming Slang for 'ponce'. Normally used in the form 'a right Charlie'. The meaning for 'ponce' can vary from a dodgy character or idiot or for a homosexual. Chas'n'Dave - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'shave'. Chelsea smile - the scar you get when you have been cut ear to ear is known as a Chelsea smile. I think this term comes from the criminal underworld of the 60's, a la Kray era. chief - general respectful term used to address a man. It can be used to address a superior. More recently it can be used as an insult where calling someone 'chief' is indicating they are a ' bit of a knob'. Also see guv'nor. china - short for 'China plate','mate'. Used as a general term to address someone you are at least a bit familiar with. Usually prefixed by 'me old'. eg. "Awright me old china !". chinky - Chinese takeaway or person. eg. "shall we go over the chinky ?" (shall we take a visit to the Chinese takeaway ?). chip - to leave. e.g. "I've gotta chip, catch you later". choked - very disappointed or overcome with emotion choke/choking the chicken - term for male masturbation. chopper - slang for penis and also a 1970's popular English bicycle with a banana seat, now a cult classic chronic - terrible, extreme. e.g. "I've got chronic headache". chuck your/my muck - vulgar term used to describe the male orgasm. eg. "I was just about to chuck my muck and the phone rang". chuffed - very happy, delighted. eg. "I'm really chuffed with that". chug nuts - slang term for faeces stuck to body hair around the anus (who thinks these up ?!). chunder - to be sick (vomit). Of Australian origin. Two ideas of its origin are
chutney ferret - slang term for a gay man. ciggy - slang for cigarette Claire Rayner's - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'trainers' (running shoes). clap - venereal disease - from Old French 'clapoir' meaning 'venereal bubo'. Often preceded by "a dose of the". claret - slang for blood. eg "There was a right ding-dong dahn the boozer last night, claret all over the place !". clobber - clothes, kit. eg. "I've gotta go shopping for some new clobber". (to) clock - to notice / see / look at. clump - to hit, usually punch. A term often used by a bit of a rough geezer, i.e. "I'll come over there and clump you if your not careful !". cobblers - Rhyming Slang, short for 'cobblers awls', 'balls'. Used as a general swear word much in the way 'balls' is. eg. "That's a right load of old cobblers" or as a one word disagreement "Cobblers !". Also used for testicles. cock - a general term for a man. Derives from the term 'cock- sparrow' and has been used for at least three hundred years. A common phrase heard is "wotcher cock !" meaning 'hello mate'. Also the term is very much used as a word for 'penis'. cock and bull story - a rubbish story, nonsense. cocksucker - derogatory slang term used in many countries, probably American origin (to) cop hold - to take hold of, to look at. Also ' cop a feel' to grope someone sexually (to) cop it - to die, to get into trouble (to) cop off - to make an excuse to avoid something, also used to mean to 'get off' with someone sexually (to) cop out - to 'chicken' out of something or retire early due to laziness, go back on a promise cop- shop - police station copper - policeman. Derives from the word 'cop', to catch. craic - something that is 'a laugh' eg. "It'll be a right craic". Of Irish origin. cream your pants / knickers - an expression used to describe an excited or enthusiastic reaction (ie. orgasm). eg. "I bet if you saw his new car you'd cream your pants !". crikey - an expression of astonishment. Corruption of 'Christ'. (to come a) cropper - to fail badly or fall foul of something / someone. eg "You'll come a cropper if you mess with me mate". crust - money / wage. To 'earn ones crust'. Probably from bread, 'bread & honey' - money. cunt - the vagina. I have left many of the really obvious slang swear words off of the site to save some time but I feel the inclusion of arguably the 'strongest' word in the English language is necessary. The word can be used to describe a woman's sexual organs, and is very much disliked by nearly all women. This dislike probably stems from the aggressive sound of the word which conjures up a nasty image of the vagina rather than one of a sweet smelling tidy body part like ' quim' or ' muff'. Mostly used as a derogatory term for someone who you have extreme dislike and sometimes more playfully in male company where it's harsh meaning is somewhat watered down i.e. "Don't be a cunt John". All in all it's the one remaining taboo word in the English language today. cunted - a 90's term for very drunk. e.g. "I was so cunted last night I can't even remember how I got home". cunting - an intense term of derision, much like buggering or fucking. i.e. "Cunting bloody arse ! I can't believe we lost !". cushy - easy, "a right cushy number". Also from Hindustani 'khush'. See below. cushty - (also kushty) general word meaning everything is fine or that something has been resolved. From Hindustani 'khush' meaning 'pleasant'. cuzzer - slang term for a curry.
Damage - cost 'what's the damage ?'
darlin' - typical address to female (usually of an unknown name). A familiar (much hated by women) cry from men often heard is "allo darlin'". dead cert - something that is definite. eg "It's a dead cert he'll be there tonight" deep sea diver - see " skin diver ". Dennis Law - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'draw' (hashish). eg. "Has anyone seen Dennis ?" (have you got any 'smoke'?). diamond geezer - a good 'solid' reliable person. dickhead - an idiot, fool. Dicky - variation of the slang term Tom Dick Rhyming Slang for sick (unwell). eg "I was feeling a bit Dicky". Dicky (Dirt) - for 'shirt'. diesel dyke - a real butch lesbian. I think the work diesel simply conjures up images of big trucks and butch things. diggs - lodgings. dildo - used as an abusive term. Generally used much in the same way as div. ding- dong - argument or fight, normally preceded with "a bit of a". eg. "He 'ad a bit of a ding dong with Dave dahn the boozer last night". dipstick - idiot, fool. div/divvy - stupid or slow person. doddle - something that easy / no problem. dodgy - dubious person or thing. eg "He's a bit of a dodgy geezer". dog - one of the most popular words to describe an ugly girl. dog and bone - for 'phone'. Used in it's long and short form (dog). Not used as widely as it once was. Terms such as blower and bell seem more popular nowadays. (the) dogs - another name for a greyhound racing stadium ("I'm just off to the dogs") or short for the dogs bollocks. (the) dogs bollocks - a term used to denote something that is 'the best' or exceptional. eg "Daves new stereo is the dogs bollocks". Sometimes shortened to 'the dogs' or 'the bollocks' and often changed to similar sayings ie. 'the mutts nuts', 'the dogs danglies'. dog's dinner - overdressed or or in a mess. eg. "He was done up like a dog's dinner" or "You've made a right dogs dinner of this !". dolly bird - an attractive (usually heavily made- up) woman. A vogue term of the 60's only really used in a derogatory way now. i.e. "Most of those girls in marketing are just dolly birds". Also used in an abbreviated form. e.g. "This place is dripping with dolly ". done over - beaten up, duffed in dong - slang for penis. dope - a slow or foolish person i.e. "He's a bit of a dope". A common term for cannabis (see Bob Hope). More recently it has been taken on by the younger generation to mean 'cool' or 'excellent' (originating in the US). doobry - a nonsensical word used when you forget the name of something, like a ' thingy'. Doris - a fairly recent term for a woman who is either plain or unattractive or it could just be used to describe a girl in a derogatory manner as if to say that her name is of little importance. i.e. "I was out last night with some Doris" or "She's a bit of a Doris". Apparently this term was invented by city traders in the 80's. dosh - money dosser - down- and- out, tramp double bubble - a rate of pay meaning 'double time'. eg. "I'm working all weekend, it's for double bubble though". doughnut - a complete idiot or fool. Also, to make a car spin by pulling the handbrake while moving. Douglas Hurd - Modern Rhyming Slang for 'turd'. Normally shortened to 'Douglas'. eg. "Just nipping out for a Douglas mate". do what? - a common reply as if to say "what did you say ?" or used as an exclamation surprised at what someone has said. dozey mare/twonk/twit/sod/git/cow/twat etc - all purpose insulting phrase for someone who's a bit of a fool, cow and mare are used when the phrase is directed towards a woman. dread - feeling dreadful. "I feel dred man". Also a Rastafarian term used to describe something impressive or cool. drop one - to fart. drum - a house, home or building. The word is used especially in police and underworld circles and may come from the Romany word drom, meaning highway, but is possibly a back- formation from drummer, someone who knocks (drums) on people's doors, either to buy or sell goods or find somewhere to rob. Duch/Dutch - a term meaning wife often heard in the saying 'my old Dutch' thought to be - short for 'Duchess of Fife' - wife. Can also be used towards a male and is thought to come from the term 'Dutch plate' meaning 'mate'. duck and dive - to hide from trouble, usually the police or some dodgy geezers. dump - to defecate. eg. "I need to take a dump". Dutch oven - a term describing when you fart and hold your partners head under the covers. dyke - lesbian. The term is used throughout the country and in the US etc. It is of unknown origin, but I like to think it comes from the story of the boy who stuck his finger in the dyke. Also see diesel dyke.
Earner - a source of income, not usually honest. Sometimes prefixed with " a nice little". Emma Freud's - Modern Rhyming Slang for haemorrhoids. e.g. "Oooh my Emma Freud's are'narrf playin' up". eppy - to freak out or 'go mad'. eg "He threw an absolute eppy when he found out". From epileptic fit. 'er indoors - the wife. Meaning the one at home. Made popular by the character Arthur Dailey from the TV series 'Minder'. extracting the urine - Having a laugh at someone elses's expense. |
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Cockney Rhyming Slang
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