Cockney Rhyming

A couple of weeks ago I promised a post on Cockney Rhyme. Here it is. Basically rhyming slang is where a word is replaced with a rhyming word so frog and toad=road and apples and pears=stairs. No one knows where rhyming slang originally began because variations of it exist in most languages. Rhyming slang is known as Cockney rhyme here in the United Kingdom since it is usually associated with Cockney speech from the East End of London and is believed to date back to the 1840s. Apparently you are a Cockney if you are born within earshot of the Bow Bells, however, the church of Mary-le-Bow was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 so there you go.

As I don't live in London I don't hear an awful lot, but when ever I don't understand what people are talking about I assume they are putting this Cockney Rhyme to use. Some common rhymes:

Ham and cheesey = Easy
Chevy Chase = Face
Uncle Ned = Head
Saucepan Lid = Kid
Chicken and Rice = Nice
Almond Rocks = Socks
Man on the Moon = Spoon
Cain and Able = Table
Bat and Wicket = Ticket
Trouble and Strife = Wife
Donkey's Ears = Years

So you might hear exchanges such as:

-"How was your driving test?" "Ham and cheesey."
-"Where are you going?" "Home to the trouble and strife."
-"Chicken and rice almond rocks" --just kidding, never heard that one before, but it would be funny.

My favorite one by far is Scooby Doo = Clue. Sam uses this one a lot. I ask him a question like "What are you making me for dinner tonight?" and he says, "I haven't got a Scooby."

There you go, Cockney Rhyme in a straw hut kiss and tell.


IN OTHER NEWS:
I have an exciting interview with one of my favorite artists to post in the next few days, so stay tuned for that along with an exclusive tutorial that will rock your world.