Can someone please explain to me the Cockney rhyming slang? What is it?<BR><BR>I'm interested since I am going to London in January.<BR><BR>Thanks to all who respond!

Hi There, <BR><BR>I found a Cockney Dictionary online: <BR><BR>See link below. Once, while in London, I had a gentleman explain to me that you are not truly considered a Cockney unless you were born within hearing range of the bells of St. Margaret..." (At least that's the church I believe he mentioned)<BR><BR>http://www.bio.nrc.ca/cockney/

Mike<BR><BR>A "cockney" is the term many people in England give to Londoners. As Thyra mentions it really only applies to people who are born within the sound of Bow bells in the East End of London.<BR><BR>Cockney rhyming slang is a modern form of language for expressing words. The basics are that you take a word and find a rhyme for it. <BR><BR>e.g apples and pears = stairs<BR>me old china (plate) = mate/friend<BR>mince(pies) = eyes<BR>butchers (hook) = look<BR><BR>I wouldn't worry too much about trying to learn any - but at least if you hear a funny word used by your "cabbie" - cab driver you'll know what is being said. Another place you are likely to hear it is on the BBC TV soap opera "EastEnders" which I believe some people can pick up in the US on cable.<BR><BR>Have a great trip to London<BR>Andrew<BR><BR>

Just to add to this, the bow bells were bombed during the war and therefore no-one born after this time can class themselves as a true cockney.

I should add that little sounds more foolish than visitors (including British visitors and even non Cockney Londoners) attempting to use cockney rhyming slang when "talking to the locals".<BR><BR>

I agree - not that many Londoners grew up with rhyming slang and you won't find London accents and slang that much more comprehensible if you did have a handbook (you can buy various, fairly jokey, booklets about it very cheap at most bookshops). I occasionally find myself saying 'Let's have a butcher's', but mostly it's just a source of puns for adverts, I suspect.