Extracted from The Oddball English, here follows some Cockney rhyming slang phrases. A few words have been explained, but not all. You’ll have to try to figure out what’s going on.
| Mexican wave – shave | ‘Give me 20 minutes for a Mexican wave and a Brad Pitt and I’ll be ready.’ |
| Michael Caine – pain, stain | ‘You OK Dick?’ ‘No. I fell on me Khyber and now I’ve got a Michael Caine.’ |
| Mickey Mouse – house | ‘See you alligator at Dave’s Mickey. Want a lift in my jam jar?’ |
| Mickey Mouser – Scouser (Liverpool) | ‘Paul McCartney is probably the world’s most famous living Mickey Mouser.’ |
| Milky Way – gay | ‘I told you he’d turn out Milky Way.’ |
| Mince pies – eyes | ‘Tessa’s got lovely mince pies and amazing pegs.’ |
| Moby Dick – sick | ‘Rita’s off Captain Kirk ‘cos she’s Moby Dick.’ |
| Mork & Mindy – windy | ‘Blimey it’s Mork & Mindy today. I nearly lost my titfer.’ (hat) |
| Mother-in-law – saw | ‘The carving knife and the saw are both Keira Knightley elephant’s trunk.’ |
| Mum & Dad – mad | ‘A macaroni for that? You’re bleeding Mum & Dad.’ |
| Mustard & cress – dress | ‘Oh look, you’ve got a Michael Caine on your mustard.’ |
| Nanny goat – coat, throat | ‘Wear your nanny, ‘cos it’s bloody soldier bold.’ (cold) |
| Native New Yorker – porker (fat person) | ‘You can spot Sue a mile off. She’s a native New Yorker.’ |
| Nelson Mandela – Stella (Artois) | ‘A pint of Nelson and some Jagger’s lips, guv.’ |
| Nicole Richie – bitchy | ‘Jan can often be Nicole Richie.’ |
| North & south – mouth | ‘Bloody Jabber the Hutt your north & south and listen.’ |
| Nuclear sub – pub | ‘We’re going down the nuclear for a couple of Nelsons.’ |
| Obama – charmer | ‘Oh Sharon, he’s gorgeous! What an Obama!’ |
| Obi-Wan Kenobi – mobi (mobile phone) | ‘S’cuse me, I’ve got a Holy Grail coming through on my Obi-Wan.’ |
| Oil tanker – wanker | ‘Go on! Overtake that oil tanker!’ |
| Oily rag – fag (cigarette) | ‘I’ve given up oily rags for now.’ |
| Oliver Twist – pissed | ‘Too many pigs’ ears and he’s Oliver Twist again.’ |
| Osama bin Laden – garden | ‘Graham’s in the Osama having a quick Bo Peep.’ |
| Otis Redding – wedding | You coming to Kev and Wendy’s Otis at the left in the lurch?’ |
| OXO cube – Tube (London Underground) | ‘I got Oliver Twist, so I left the jam jar and took the OXO instead.’ |
| Paris Hilton – Stilton (type of cheese with mould running through it). | ‘C’nav two Paris Hilton ploughman’s and two Britney Spears.’ |
| Pattie Hearst – first (degree result) | ‘I don’t Adam & Eve it. Geoff’s current bun got a Pattie Hearst!’ |
| Pearly gate – great | ‘We had a pearly gate time at the London fogs last night. I had three chicken dinners.’ |
| Pie & mash – crash | ‘Terry’s pie & mashed his jellied eels.’ |
| Pig’s ear – beer | ‘This battle cruiser serves the best pigs’ ears in the East End.’ |
| Pieces of eight – weight | ‘She’s worth her pieces of eight in gold, she is.’ |
| Peanut butter – nutter (mad person) | ‘Joey’s not David Blaine, just a bit of a peanut butter.’ |
| Plates of meat – feet | ‘Mind if I put my plates of meat on the kangaroo pouch?’ |
| Pork chop – cop | ‘Hannibal Lecter handed him to the pork chops for fare evasion.’ ‘Seems hairy muff to me.’ |
| Porky Pig – big | ‘Which one is Donna?’ ‘The Porky Pig one scoffing the Ruby Murray.’ |
| Pride & joy – boy | ‘It’s a pride & joy! 8lb 6oz.’ |
| Puff Daddy – golf caddie | ‘Bob’s Puff Daddy to some lemon squeezers every Saturday.’ |
| Queen Mum – bum (backside) | ‘Put your Queen Mum down here next to me.’ |
| Quentin Crisp – lisp | ‘Tony’s pride & joy’s got a bit of a Quentin.’ |
| Rabbit & pork – talk | ‘Meet you at the Colonel Gadaffi for a rabbit.’ |
Tags: Annie Harrison, Cockney, Cockney Rhyming Slang, creative-word, East End, London accent, oddball English
