Transcripts on Cockney Rhyming Slang
Alison and Jen’s Story by Alison - Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Alison
0:00:00
So, apples and pears I think we all know is stairs and April showers is flowers ball of chalk for a walk?
Jen
I've not heard that one I've heard the Adam and Eve
Alison
Adam and Eve yeah bubble bath having a laugh yeah
Jen
We used to just say you're having a bubble
Alison
Yeah. Bobby Moore, score. I think that's a newer one probably now probably more associated with West Ham. Um Chew the Fat, chap. Clock'em and pree, to see. Not know that one. Custard jelly for telly.
Jen
Cream crackered, knackered. We still use that every day.
Alison
0:00:51
Duck and Dive, yeah. Horse and Carriage, yeah. Which is UK, Garage. Pete Tong, it's all gone wrong. yeah. Kick and prance, dance. Rosie Lee, cup of tea. Scooby Doo.
Jen
Ain't got a clue.
Alison
Which is interesting because
Jen
Ain't got a Scooby!
Alison
Where I am, in good old Essex, Scooby was what we used to call the Subaru Impreza.
Alison
0:01:17
We called that a Scooby do. - Oh really? - Yeah, it was prominent back in the day. It was one of the big name rally cars, that and the Mitsubishi Evos. So if someone come along with this bright blue Subaru Impreza, it was called a Scooby.
Jen
0:01:39
Oh, we just, see I haven't got a scooby about that! So, I would say that I would, we still use a few of them, like, I think like Skin and Blister I use a lot, like for Sister, yeah. So I used to work in a pub, it was in Stratford, and it was very, very old school and all the old guys in there used to use Cockney Rhyming Slang. Half of it I was just like
Alison
They could be having a full conversation and you wouldn't understand what they were saying.
Jen
Yeah. But they would just come in, because East Londoners break everything down, don't they? We just make up words for everything, you know? Yeah. So like, working with them, I could see how much Cockney Rhyming Slang was still very much of it, where at home we probably used a little bit of it but not to the extent, yeah.
Alison
0:02:34
Yeah, I think we've always, my dad grew up in East London, Forest Gate I think, but we've not masses of Cockney Rhyming Slang that goes on in our end. I think it's a bit more prevalent in Essex, the London borough-y bit, so Romford and those areas probably use it more. We just had the usual stairs and Dog and Phone - Dog and Bone for phone and all that sort of stuff. So, yeah, it'll be interesting to see what contemporary Cockney Rhyming Slang the art project brings to it.
All audio transcripts (9)
Baglaka’s Story by Moona - Newham Community Project
Baglaka
When I moved to Canning Town, I started researching the area, and I was surprised to see that it was a dock community before so it was always very diverse. But, I was thinking, with where are the White people, what happened to them? And then I spoke to some Pensioners who told me that “oh the children moved out” and um, people are just very happy but closed up at the same time and there is no real mixing. I tried to say an [inaudble].
Moona
Are you aware of the Cockney Slang? Have you ever encountered about that?
Baglaka
I know that there are still one or two Pearly Queens and Pearly Kings who used to dress up as Cockney representatives, but the slang is largely disappeared, very few people know even couple of words.
George’s Story by Louise aka Curly Wordy - Holden Point
Louise
0:00:00
Were you able to, you know, get other people into the love of Cockney Slang?
George
0:00:05
Oh yeah, I lived in Singapore for two years. I was a superintendent out there. And I used to work for Borneo, Sarawak, Indonesia and that. And I used to have them all talk in it, Filipinos. And I used to have, in the morning, when I come on the deck, because I was a super duper, in the morning when I come on the deck, you have to say one very special thing. What's that? "Alright mate?" And you'd get like a geezer from Sarawak, like the place in Borneo where you know you could go from one tribe a quarter of a mile to another tribe and they speak a completely different language. They don't speak English. But they, "alright George? Alright mate? Cup of tea?" I had them all made in tea, I'm learning about it mate.
George
0:00:55
Yeah!
Louise
0:00:56
So did you ever manage to convert anyone to a bit of Cockney slang? Of course. A bit of rhyming slang?
George
0:01:02
Of course. And you don't always tell them do you at the start, yeah? You let them make the bricket for the first few weeks, don't you? - True.
Louise
0:01:10
What's your experience with Cockney slang? What's your, like, general, being a born and bred Cockney, what's your take on it?
Louise
0:01:17
And did you grow up around it?
George
0:01:20
Now, not so much, because it's become... The thing being, it's got old, you know, it's... You've got to think the original reason for Rhyming Slang was for criminal purposes. So it was your duty to learn it so that you could... Going up the floor I'm going to go round it and then you get going up the... It's a... send you up the road, go down... George go down Hackney road in the things there and get a bucket of Harvey Jones. I go, yeah, alright. And I'll just disappear for the day. And come back the next day with a few washers. You know what I mean? Like all them big... When I was doing my apprenticeship, go down the stores for a long stand. All these all things around you, you know, they're all good. And you'd go down there at say 10 o'clock and you'd be there at 11 o'clock, you're still waiting. So, long stand here, mate, no, it's got to be a bit longer here. A long stand. You're not getting a long stand. You're standing here for a long time. So, it only happened to me once in a while. If I said that, first thing I'd do, as soon as I was outside, get on the bus and go to East Ham and go home. I'll go where I'm standing.
Louise
0:02:45
Would you say the Cockney spirit is quite jovial and comedic?
George
0:02:58
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah and I like um, I was telling the girl out there, like you know, you say like, what's your (inaudible] thing? Arse and all, - Bottle and glass, arse - but look, I said, have you ever heard it reffered to as Harris? - Harris Tweed? - No. She's got a lovely Harris.
George
0:03:11
So what, where's Harris come from?
George
0:03:13
What Harris is: Aristotle, Bottle. Bottle and Glass, arse. - Oh, so it's a double layered Cockney Slang - yeah. Kettle, came from Dickens' times, when you didn't have a watch did you? You didn't have a wristwatch, you had a fob watch.
5
0:03:22
Louise
0:03:23
George
0:03:25
So, if you and me were sitting in a thing and we was...Not shoplifting what is it?
Louise
0:03:39
Pickpocketing.
George
0:03:43
Pickpocketing. We're gonna get his watch. Right, we're gonna have that fob. So what you'd say, if you saw one that was available and you could get hold of it, you'd say, "clock the kettle on the hob". Kettle on the hob - fob. So that's why it's called a kettle. Yet a load of people say oh yeah "watch kettle never boils", well it ain't, it's kettle on the hob. It's from Dickens. You can actually read it in Dickens.
Louise
0:04:17
Well yeah and I guess that's a really good point. And it's got beautiful connections.
George
0:04:19
It does go back a long way. And it's evolved over the years.
Louise
0:04:21
It's ever evolving, Cockney slang, isn't it? - Of course it is. -Because it has to kind of move with the times.
George
0:04:24
Of course it does.
Louise
0:04:25
And the people coming in.
George
0:04:26
Yeah.
Louise
0:04:27
And learning how to use it and understanding the principle behind it. And then you can kind of take it forward and still have it as modern day slang.
George
0:04:41
They did it here once, in computer classes. And I just don't get on with computers, I just think they're illogical, I don't get on with them but I had somebody telling me once they said your experience of like living in the East End of London and knowing about Cockney Slang and the use of words you'd use like and like, if you didn't want your girlfriend to know you was going down the railway, you'd have a name for it, like Bob's, or whatever, you know what I mean? Cockney Slang is, a way of making up a name to replace a name that you don't know. It's concealment of, you know what I mean?
Louise
0:05:29
Well, you think of the, when you, you said something really nice there about words, you know, and I've always loved words, you know like the poetry I do, the spoken word I do, a lot of it is about my obsession with words. And I wonder what it is about the Cockney Slang words. Is it because it's all they had? Like growing up, we weren't materially rich, we were socially out there, weren't we as Cockneys?
George
0:05:54
Yeah, it made you different. It made people who was interesting and clever interested in you, because they want to know what makes you tick.
New Cockney Rhyming Slang Dialogue by Discover Children’s Story Centre
1
0:00:00
Hey, have you seen the new Rainy Cardboard game?
2
No, do you want to make it 8 o'clock with me?
1
Yeah, sure, but that sounds London though.
2
That 8 o'clock was so rainy.
1
Are you going to send this to your friend on Hot?
2
No, have you heard the drama on Hot?
1
Yes, but that drama was peak though.
2
Yeah, it was.
1
Do you want to play some... um, box?
2
0:00:22
Sure.
1
0:00:22
Can you stop being so London?
2
I'm not being London.
Pamela’s Story by Alexis - Deep Boroughs
Pamela
0:00:00
They call it code switching now. So when you're talking to your parents, you spoke in a particular way. And then when you hung out with your friends, you spoke in another way. But I never really adopted Cockney Rhyming Slang, you know, apple and stairs, pears, and all that kind of. - You know it. - I know of it, but never really. I think I was born just after that time when it became, when it was really popular. So I do remember Chaz and Dave, you know, their records and all of that, but I didn't really, I didn't really relate, didn't really relate to it.
Alexis
0:00:32
So Chaz and Dave, remind me who they were again?
Pamela
0:00:33
Chaz and Dave were a Cockney duo that used to sing Cockney songs, I suppose. And they would throw as much as, you know, like Rabbit, Rabbit is another one, Rabbit, Rabbit, not heard of Rabbit, Rabbit? I'm really showing my age now. But it wasn't something, you appreciated it and you got the gist of what they were saying and you laughed along, but it wasn't something that I thought, well, you know what, I have to become more Cockney, and suddenly needed to take it on board. That said, years later, as an adult, I was asked to speak at a conference and the conference took place up north somewhere so everybody had Yorkshire accents, they were all from Leeds and so on. And then I got up and I spoke and when I came back down, somebody gave me feedback on what I said and they said that I sounded like Sharon from EastEnders and I had to clutch my pearls. I mean what they meant was is that everyone else had a broad Yorkshire accent and I was the only person from London that spoke that morning at the conference. But it stayed with me, it silenced me a bit because, you know, Sharon is loud and brass and all of that stuff and then for me to be labelled as that kind of person, you know, from Sharon from the East End, it silenced me for a while I have to say.
Phil’s Story by Alexis - Deep Boroughs
Phil
0:00:00
The original idea behind something like (Cockney) Rhyming Slang was that it was a local thing. There was also other languages like Yiddish and stuff like that. Because the area where I lived in Stepney when I was a kid was predominantly Jewish, a Jewish area, of which I have some ancestry down my maternal, paternal grandparent, grandmother side of the family. So the area I was in was predominantly a lot of Jewish people around. Some Asian people, some Black people, but it was predominantly Jewish people. Yeah, so I'm not sure where to go with the rest of that, but carry on.
Alexis
0:00:48
So predominantly sort of Jewish people, but you spoke English slang. - Yeah, a little bit of slang - You used some slang but normal English. - Yeah. - Did you speak Cockney language? Cockney slang?
Phil
0:00:53
Cockney slang, yeah. But what, Something that my parents did as well, because they were born and brought up in that area. They were always advising me not to be speaking like, what you call, you know, a caricature Cockney. "Ello govener, you alright gov?" all that sort of stuff.
Alexis
0:01:14
Did you have people around you speaking Cockney?
Phil
0:01:15
Yeah, yeah, yeah, of we did, yeah. And they said if you wanted to get a good job, at least something where you can't walk into a place and just say, "alright guv how you goin? Goin down the Apples and Pears up the Frog and Toad?" whatever you know, can't do any of that. Frog and toad - road apples and pears - stairs. But, you know, as I say, you abbreviate it to the first word, because if somebody was, you know, as a Cockney speaker, we know it from the beginning, the first word. So you don't have to say the second word, unless you've been explaining it to someone that hasn't necessarily heard about it before. If you're from the area and you know the person, and you know they happen to speak it, what happens is you're just talking bits and pieces. You're not using the whole, you know, every word is not, you wouldn't be saying every word as a piece of one. You're saying you do certain words within that particular sentence, and you know that the other person would know that that is what you meant by that. I mean there's the usual answers, just things like I was saying apples and pears - stairs. Also there's, there's a usage thing as well with, there's stuff that was used in the 1800s and stuff like that that got phased out and otherwise replaced for the same thing.
Alexis
0:02:24
So you have an example of that?
Phil
0:02:26
Yeah, it was. maternal grandfather, he was a docker, he used say to me every once in a while, I didn't know what it was at the time, but it's a, Yeah, he was "down in the Rory", and I said what's that grandad? he said, Rory O'Moore, on the floor
Alexis
0:02:45
And who's Rory O'Moore?
Phil
0:02:46
I don't know the history behind who Rory O'Moore is, but he said he was down in the Rory. that? the floor, Rory O'Moore floor. Yeah, that's just one example. You know, other ones would be like, you know, "you've got your daisies on?" You've your daisies. Yeah, you've got your daisies on, which is your daisy roots, your boots. - Oh, right. - Yeah, I'm trying to think of other things now. Oh, that's a nice dickie you've got on there. Nice dickie. What's that? Dickie Dirt shirt. Oh, you're wearing a really nice Tit for there.
Alexis
0:03:21
Nice what?
Phil
0:03:22
Tit for. Tit for tat - hat.
Alexis
0:03:23
Oh, Tit for. Right ok.
Phil
0:03:25
I don't know. Loads of bits and pieces. Half of them I've forgotten now. I'm in an interview situation, I can't remember half of it.
Alexis
0:03:31
You know Dickie actually is quite funny because I thought Dickie meant like another type.
Phil
0:03:36
Dickie bird.
Alexis
0:03:37
That's so interesting.
Phil
0:03:41
Yeah, Dickie Dirt. Dickie Dirt shirt. You can use it in different things.
Alexis
0:03:42
Yeah.
Phil
0:03:42
But there was also, when TV shows in the 70s came along like the Sweeney, which you know.
Phil
0:03:51
Yeah, there was a...
Phil
0:03:53
John Thorne.
Alexis
0:03:55
Is it a police program?
Phil
0:03:57
Yeah, so the Sweeney. Sweeney Todd - flying squad. But basically what they did was, there was this version of what they classed as Cockney speak which was specifically designed for the programme. And it wasn't actually really in use in the East End as such. There was one episode where it was some crook talking to another crook and he said "oh don't look at the Sweeney they're right hard, I don't want them breathing down my Gregory." Gregory Peck - Neck. Oh yeah, that's what we used to term as "Sweeney speak", it's not real Cockney speak. Yeah, so the Sweeney. Sweeney Todd - flying squad. But basically what they did was, there was this version of what they classed as Cockney speak which was specifically designed for the programme. And it wasn't actually really in use in the East End as such. There was one episode where it was some crook talking to another crook and he said "oh don't look at the Sweeney they're right hard, I don't want them breathing down my Gregory." Gregory Peck - Neck. Oh yeah, that's what we used to term as "Sweeney speak", it's not real Cockney speak. I don't know why it particularly called Oi Oi Saveloy, but it was various events in various places. There was a pop up at Chrisp Street Market, there was a church hall, somewhere over on the Isle of Dogs. Various bits and pieces went on there. They had the Pearly Kings and Queens come out.
Alexis
0:05:51
They had them dressed up in actual Pearly jackets.
Phil
0:05:55
Yeah, black jackets with a lot of jewels on them.
Alexis
0:05:58
them, also on Pearly buttons.
Phil
0:06:00
Yeah, and that was your Coster Mongers.
Alexis
0:06:02
So where does it come from?
Phil
0:06:03
Costmer Mongers, that's the name of it.
Phil
0:06:06
Person who sells stuff back in the 1700s or 1800s, could be anything, could be veg could be fruit and veg, could something, flock.
Alexis
0:06:13
Is in the market? Is it Jewish background?... Is it a Jewish background?
Stratford Cockney Rhyming Slang by Discover Children’s Story Centre
0:00:00
Cockney Rhyming Slangs according to Stratford Manor Primary School. Treasure maps - cap. Rainy day - sleigh. Cardboard box - roadblocks. London bus - sus. Hot tap - Whatsapp. Holding hands - mini brands. Eight o'clock - Tik Tok. Bird and big - peak.
Terrence’s Story by Twinkle - Deep Boroughs
Terrence
0:00:00
To me it was Cockney was prevalent and most of the people talked it. And you even, even, you had even, um, like, Indians or from Bangladesh and they're talking Cockney. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Used to walk into the little shop that was off of, um, uh, Fife Road. Albert was in there, Asian. He go, all right, mate, how you going? Have you got good, you know, he's talking, you know what I mean, you think, when I first see that I thought that seemed strange.
The Great Get Together by Vox Pop - Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Voice 1
0:00:00
We weren't very clever on your Rhyming Slang I'm afraid.
Voice 2
0:00:02
No but there's a couple of I missed which is this one.
Voice 2
0:00:05
Bubble Bath. What does that rhyme with?
Voice 3
0:00:07
Muggle, lover.
Voice 1
0:00:08
You're having a laugh!
Voice 2
0:00:10
Yeah, That's it.
Voice 2
0:00:13
And there's another one here.
Voice 1
0:00:15
Adam and Eve.
Voice 3
0:00:17
She's called Eve.
Voice 2
0:00:19
Oh, what if I could Adam and Eve it? Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve.
Voice 1
0:00:26
Can you Adam and Eve it? Can you believe it?
Voice 4
0:00:50
[introduction music] Welcome to the Voices of East Bank Project. Here you can listen to what happened when we asked attendees of the Great Get Together in the Olympic Park about what they knew about Cockney Rhyming Slang, and any stories about language that they had from their own childhoods.
Voice 5
0:01:47
I was actually born at Petticoat Lane, and moved from there when I was 16 to Roman Road, so EastEnder. - Ok so that's great, did you hear it a lot, did you use it a lot? - Yes, I still use some of it occasionally. - How did you feel about it? - Yeah, it's quite nice if I hear it, it brings back memories. (Next voice): But you shorted it even more, - Rosie - Yeah, cup of rosie, um tatas, bit cold. Bottle - bottle and glass - oh right ok! (Next voice): But you know where the Cockney Slang started in the East, it just went all over London. What's a Cheese Rapper? - I don't even want to guess...[GASP]
Voice 6
0:01:51
So, is there a phrase from your childhood that you remember?
Voice 7
0:01:55
My dad used to use backslang.
Voice 6
0:01:57
Oh right, oh, tell us about that.
Voice 7
0:02:00
Well they changed the words.
Voice 6
0:02:01
Yes, I've heard of that, I've heard that in other languages as well.
Voice 7
0:02:04
Yeah, it's backslang.
Voice 6
0:02:06
What was that?
Voice 7
0:02:07
So the people didn't know what they was talking about like the traders.
Voice 6
0:02:10
yeah.
Voice 8
0:02:11
I don't know if it's a London thing. I can remember in work recently we had a new person start and she was quite young. She was only 22. And I just said to her, I'm just going to spend a penny. she didn't know what I was talking about.
Voice 6
0:02:30
It's true, yeah, yeah.
Voice 8
0:02:32
And then when I came back I had some explaining to do.
Voice 9
0:02:37
Yeah, some of my funny stories, funny slangs, I've got Apples and Pears, Ruby Murray, Mince pies, Skin and Blister.
Voice 6
0:02:46
Do they use them?
Voice 9
0:02:48
No, they're Caribbean, she's not going to say that. it'd be totally different. Yeah, what she would say is something. Yeah, what she's I'll try to think of something. Oh, if you can't hear, you must feel.
Voice 6
0:03:01
Okay.
Voice 9
0:03:01
So that sense if you're told not to do something, and you go and do it and you hurt yourself, that would be the natural consequences. The same as I told you, so...
Voice 10
0:03:12
So when the new moon comes, my grandma used to make us take our wallets to the moon and recite, it's like a rhyme that asks for more money, but also, so money to spend and also money to keep.
Voice 10
0:03:32
And it goes, Lua nova quatrocento, quando voltas estras deste cimento, ouro pra te pregrauad... then you shake your pocket money and say aceinte aceinte aceinte which means grow, grow, grow and the coins would cirle and I grandma wanted to do it once and then I would go back and say it over over again and shake my pocket money so that it would grow so that it's something that whenever I see the moon the new moon comes back to me and that is portuguese.