Cockney Language asking for Protection
 

Was on BBC1HD 10AM Politics London.


For Chinese Students
An Artist was on
he takes them around the East End


He was angry at the London Mayor
who ignores it.

["Apples and pears" (stairs)

To the Cockney, the phrase "steps and stairs" describes the idea of gradation. Every good costermonger has skill in displaying the front of his stall. The selected samples of fruit and vegetables are expertly graded in "steps and stairs". Apples and pears, when in season, are common on each barrow and, when polished, create an arresting display.
"Army and navy" (gravy)

As gravy was plentiful at mealtimes in both services.
"Basin of gravy" (baby)

Suggestive of the softness of the foods on which babies are fed.
"Bees and honey" (money)

As bees are the epitome of work, work produces money, the possession of which is sweet.
"Borrow and beg" (egg)

A term that enjoyed a fresh lease of life during the second world war and the food-rationing period.
"Bottle and stopper" (copper)

Policeman. There are a possible pair of inferences: to bottle meaning to enclose and a stopper meaning one who holds another back from a course of action.
"Box of toys" (noise)

As a box of toys, particularly a new one given as a present at Christmas time, causes a great deal of noise to be made.
"Can't keep still" (treadmill)

Since people sentenced to that 19th century punishment could not keep still for a second.
"Clever mike" (bike)

Influenced by the extreme displays that adolescents are inclined to perform on a bicycle, especially when showing off.
"Coals and coke" (broke)

Since both coal and coke used to be supplied in large blocks that had to be broken down before their use.
"Coat and badge" (cadge)

Sometimes known as "Doggett's" as watermen who possessed the Doggett Coat and Badge could charge higher fares than those without.
"Collar and cuff" (puff)

An effeminate man, suggestive either by their neatness of dress, or by "powder puff".
"Cop a flower pot" (cop it hot)

To get into serious trouble. Suggested by the effect of a flower pot dropped from a window above on to someone below.
"Crowded space" (suitcase)

Which was often stolen during packed railway stations in the holiday season.
"Cut and carried" (married)

Applying only to the wife who is cut off from the parental support and carried (provided for) by her husband.
"Cuts and scratches" (matches)]


https://www.theguardian.com/educatio...-rhyming-slang

Protection against what?

Getting lost
as the old ones die off

There aren't any Cockneys left in London. It's all foreigners or gentrification. The clearest example of the Cockney accent now eminates from Thetford. East London was taken away and handed over and if anyone dared to say anything, you were called a racist. Now even the accent is in danger.

dialects constantly evolve and have done since the beginning of time. Some last a while, others die out quickly, it's the nature of the beast

So presumably there are some more recent rhyming slangs then .. some the old cockneys won’t know or even approve of .

I only know apples and stairs .. pairs .


Still don’t understand why they came up with alternative phrases that were LONGER than the original


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Especially when no one who used the dialect is left in the area.

I thought Essex was Cockney Land nowadays, rather than "actual" East London?

Douglas Hurd comes to mind for some reason :laugh:

Basically Cockney Rhyming Slang is headed in the same direction as the Welsh language if people aren't careful.

It’s slang, not a language, slang changes all the time, what’s the issue?

the Essex white kids sound now like they are from Kingston, its quite horrid

Geordie's for example get funding


They want the same

Well tbf the same can also be said for language as they've evolved a lot around the world over the years.

At the end of the day, someone is having a right good bubble here

The only cockney slang I know is the apple and pears - Stairs

Mince pies- Eyes

Rock & Roll - Dole ( Heard that one in Fools and horses)

Ditto. Essex is where they all seem to be now.

When you have heroes like Albert Steptoe, Alf Garnett and Derek Trotter who are all cockny's, then Cockney rhyming slang is second nature to you.