Bookgasm: Cockney Slang

Remember the book, Ripped by Shelly Dickson Carr? If you don't, let's refresh your memory with my review here. Anyway, here's another bookgasm post in which I will share to you what I have learned in that book particularly on the way of speaking. Ever heard of Cockney slang before? I'm surely a newbie here but I was pretty fascinated by how it was used by the characters (and of course, in the past by Londoners) in the book.

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A disclaimer was written on the start of the book and also a brief introduction on the "language":

"In Victorian London, Cockney rhyming slang was used as a secret 'insider' language to confuse outsiders, especially peelers (the police) and toffs (the nobility or gentry). Cockney expressions have changed over time, but many remain exactly as they were in 1888, when Jack the Ripper terrorized London. The premise is this: A phrase that rhymes with the word a Cockney means is used to convey the word. The most famous example is "apples and pears". Often the rhyming word is dropped, so that "pears" (which rhymed with "stairs") is omitted, leaving only apples. "I'm climbing the apples."

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Here are some Cockney Rhyming Slang: Ankle and Foot - Soot

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Apples and Pears - Stairs April in Paris - Ass Bacon and Eggs - Legs Bag of Sand - Grand Billy Goat - Coat Boat Race - Face Boiler House - Spouse Bread and Honey - Money Bricks and Pates - United States Brown Bread - Dead Church Pews - Shoes Fife and Drum - Bum Flip Flap - Trap/Mouth Frog and Toad - Road Grady Moore - Door Ham Shank - A Yank, a U.S. Citizen Harper and Queens - Jeans Jellied - Eel Deal Lamb to the Slaughter - Daughter Loch Ness - Mess Marbles and Conkers - Bonkers Mince Pies - Eyes Molly Coxer - Boxer Mum and Dad - Mad Noah's Ark - A lark/a fun time Orchestra Stalls - Balls Peas in a Pot - Hot Petticoat Lane - Pain Pony Trap - Crap Pots and Dishes - Wishes Raspberry Tart - Heart Rattle and Pitch - Snitch/tattle/rat someone out Rob Roy - Boy Rosy Lee - Tea Rum and Coke - Joke Scapa Flo - Go Shepherd's Plaid - Bad Speckled Hen - Ten Straw and Hay - Gay Swinging Door - Whore Tiger's Cage - Rage Tit for Tat - Hat Tripe and Fashion - Passion

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Trouble and Strife - Wife Turkish Bath - Laugh Twist and Swirl - Girl
Some 19th century expressions to try: Blimey! - Expression of surprise Bobby - Police officer Born on Wrong Side of Blanket - Born to parents who were not legally married Chit - Girl/Female Copped It - Croaked/Died Cor Blimey! - Similar to Blimey Extra Ready - Extra money Little Kipper or Wee Nipper - Child Mate or Matey - A friend Old Boy - As in: "I say, old boy!" Form of endearment Old Sod - A fool, an idiot Peeler - Police officer Scotch Warming Pan - Girlfriend Toff - High Society Take a Gander - Look at something Top-Drawer - High quality

"Cockney accents can still be heard in London as well as all across England. But in the 19th century, a true Cockney--with the right to use the secret rhyming slang--was someone born within earshot of the church bells of St. Mary le Bow, the area in London where Jack the Ripper stalked his victims."

Hope you had fun learning these phrases and language with me!
Love lots, xx Style Reader