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cockney rhyming slang.

Cockney English is also characterized by its own special vocabulary and usage in the form of "cockney rhyming slang". The way it works is that you take a pair of associated words where the second word rhymes with the word you intend to say, then use the first word of the associated pair to indicate the word you originally intended to say. Some rhymes have been in use for years and are very well recognized, if not used, among speakers of other accents.

Examples:

"apples and pears" � stairs
"plates of meat" � feet


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Somebody please explain more thoroughly, or correct the given explanation if it's wrong. I honestly don't get it.

What is it that you got Pete Tong?

quote:

Originally posted by Lira What is it that you got Pete Tong?

That's too easy!

Anyway, how in the world does 'apples' indicate stairs?

It's just 2 words, the second of which rhymes with the single word they're meant to replace.

Trouble and Strife = Wife

Dog and Bone = Phone

Etc.

quote:

Originally posted by R.j. That's too easy! Anyway, how in the world does 'apples' indicate stairs?

Huh? "Apples and pears" just rhymes with "stairs", there's no semantic correlation whatsoever.

quote:

Originally posted by Sushipunk It's just 2 words, the second of which rhymes with the single word they're meant to replace. Trouble and Strife = Wife Dog and Bone = Phone Etc.

So in the case of 'apples and pears' 'apples' has no other function than being an associated item with pears?

The only reason I'm stumped is because of this part of the explanation I originally posted:

quote:

, then use the first word of the associated pair to indicate the word you originally intended to say.

quote:

Originally posted by R.j. So in the case of 'apples and pears' 'apples' has no other function that being an associated item with pears? The only reason I'm stumped is because of this part of the explanation I originally posted:

Yeah, I'd say that the definition you got is bullshit. When I was working in London in a bar, one old guy would ask me for a pint of Nelson. The first time, I was like "Wtf, I don't think we serve that here..." and he said "Sure you do. Nelson... Mandella....? Stella!"

Nelson Mandella = Stella

There's simply no association there, they just rhyme.

Well, you can abbreviate things after a while, so it's not uncommon in that case to say "apples" for "stairs", as far as I know. Care to confirm, Sushi?

quote:

Originally posted by Lira Well, you can abbreviate things after a while, so it's not uncommon in that case to say "apples" for "stairs", as far as I know. Care to confirm, Sushi?

Yep, see previous post

"A pint of Nelson"

quote:

Originally posted by Sushipunk Yep, see previous post "A pint of Nelson"

Saw it later. I'm struggling with my internet connection here, I was trying to delete my post after I saw yours, but failed

quote:

Originally posted by Lira Saw it later. I'm struggling with my internet connection here, I was trying to delete my post after I saw yours, but failed

Sushi fast, like ninja!

quote:

Originally posted by Sushipunk Sushi fast, like ninja!

Lira slow, likes turtles

quote:

Originally posted by Lira Lira slow, likes turtles

quote:

Originally posted by R.j. So in the case of 'apples and pears' 'apples' has no other function than being an associated item with pears?

The rhyme is generally a two-part phrase, but only the first part of the phrase is actually spoken. So "Battleship and sub" = "pub" but you'd only say "I'm going to the battleship". The slang was designed to be deliberately obfuscating. It gets really difficult when the rhyming slang refers to another piece of slang. "Cream crackered" = "knackered" or "Vera Lynns" = "skins", for example.

ah, thanks a lot to all! Was going over some of the traits of the Cockney dialect and was utterly stumped there.

Just another question, if you don't mind, but would you say that a conversation between a Cockney and a Geordie(assuming both understand each other's lingo) would be, er, utterly impenetrable to someone from, say, the Texas countryside?

By the way, is this research for a story?

You tell us!

http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/ - Sounds Familiar (dialectal survey in the UK)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/ - BBC Voices (pretty much the same thing)

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J

Yeah, I just can't understand Geordies at all. I used to work with one, and it's hopeless attempting to understand some of the shit he used to say.

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J By the way, is this research for a story?

Hahaha!

Yep. Remember that Finnegans Wakish excerpt I posted some time go? Well, two months or so ago I asked myself whether I would prefer a larger audience as opposed to a closetonothing audience? I decided on the former and restarted and have been writing away since. I did, however, decide to keep the 'dialectal' aspect of it. Now that I'm approaching the second part I thought it'd be a good idea to open up my notes and start plugging away.

Just so you know: I'm not planning on producing anything phenomenal as far as dialects go, but I'd like to render a decent, maybe even good representation.

quote:

Originally posted by Sushipunk Yeah, I just can't understand Geordies at all. I used to work with one, and it's hopeless attempting to understand some of the shit he used to say.

That reminds me of some UKTA from Newcastle whose name I can't remember. He went to London on vacation and, when an American asked him for directions and he tried to tell her he wasn't from London either, she asked him if he spoke English

"Did you get any Charly last night?"

Basically means did you get laid. Did you get your Dickins

Charly/Charles Dickins

quote:

Originally posted by Lira That reminds me of some UKTA from Newcastle whose name I can't remember. He went to London on vacation and, when an American asked him for directions and he tried to tell her he wasn't from London either, she asked him if he spoke English

Hahahahaha, wouldn't surprise me in the least.

From Oceans 11

We're In Barney sound bite  Ocean's Eleven sound bites

Ruby Murry = Curry

J. Edgar = Hoover / Vacuum

Bunce = Money

Dead horse = sauce

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