Bookies have loads of slang terms for different odds bottle 2-1 a nut 9-4 carpet 3-1 rouf 4-1 ching or a hand 5-1 half a stretch 6-1 neves 7-1 a cockle 10-1 and many more
Chalfont St Giles = Piles Peckham Rye = Tie Desmond Hackett = Jacket Forsythe saga = Lager Pigs ears = Beers Nelson Mandela = Stella J. Arthur Rank = w*nk Donald Duck = ....I think you can figure that one out
Open your mince pies = eyes I'll have some Loop de loop = soup I like your 'Toms' as in tom foolery = jewellery Where's me 'Gregs' (also as in gregory peck) = specks I've got a sore 'Hampton' as in Hampton Wick = Pr*ck He's brown bread = dead
Buffing up the happy lamp - longer phrase for a J. Arther Gogglebox - telly Then there's all them awful animal-money ones: monkey, pony... Dog (& Bone) - phone Holy Ghost - toast
Are we talking slang that's used now, or historical or what? And used by who?
Rhyming Slang has been around for about 100 years or so, some people would argue that any phrase added since X date (X varying depending on the age of who's talking) isn't "proper" but I think that's a load of cobblers.
But using the word that rhymes as well as the first word in a phrase tends (with some exceptions) to mark you out as a bit of a berk.
(saying either "cobblers awls" or "berkely hunt" in full would be silly.)
Before rhyming slang, London Costers used "backslang" - words pronounced (more or less) backwards, but if it was a plural, you'd still put the s at the end of the word. Not many backslang words are still in circulation, about the only one I can think of is "yob" although now tends to mean a hooligan rather than a boy in general.
smiley culture's "cockney translation" from the 80s (bound to be on youtube) is less academic but may be of interest. I'm sure some Jamaican slang has become fairly general, can't immediately think of any examples.
Syphon The Python - have a wee Shake Hands with my wife's best friend - have a wee Strain the greens - have a wee (Visit the) donut in Granny's greenhouse - (go to the) loo (Have a) technicolour yawn - throw up (Have word with) Ralph - throw up (Have a word with( Hewie - throw up Call God on the great white telephone - throw up (Couldn't give a) monkey's - couldn't care less (Make a) pigs ear (of it) - make a mess of/muck up Shag-nasty - cheap and horrible (poor quality) Bog-standard - typical Ankle-biter - small child Snotty - small child Chavvy - small child (Up the) chutney (locker) - up the ar*e The Clap - VD (Go for a) dangle - (go) fishing Black as Newgates knocker - very dirty (with grime) Rat ar*ed - drunk (Lost their) Bottle or Bottled it - afraid/cowardly
Cockney rhyming slang (not yet mentioned I don't think) that I have used or have heard used
Have a gypsies (gypsies kiss) - go for a p*ss Jack and Danny - Fanny Richard (The Third) - Bird or Turd Lady Godiva - Fiver (five pound note) The Sweeny (Todd) - the Flying Squad (Met Police) Farmers (Farmer Giles) - piles (haemorrhoids) Chalfonts (Chalfont St Giles) - piles (haemorrhoids) Jam Tart - fart Creamed (Cream crackered) - knackered Giraffe - laugh China (Plate) - mate Me and you - menu Bees and Honey - money North and South - mouth I suppose - nose Currant bun - sun Joanna - piano (pronounced in cockney "pianna") Jack and Jill - Bill Trick cyclist - psychiatrist Tin tack - sack (as in lost the job) Thomas Tilling - shilling Dicky Dirt - Shirt Tom (and) Dick - sick Brahms (& List) - pissed Tom Mix - six Band of hope - soap Two and eight - state (as in a state of anguish) Pen and ink - stink Whistle (& flute) - suit Cain and Abel - table Earwig - twig (to listen in and learn) Trouble & strife - wife Pete Tong - wrong
Just to fill in the full detail on Threadkiller's list
Lots of slang is regional. Do they still say 'Eeh Ba Gum' up North? Also, do they still use 'cock' a lot? Maybe we should ask our Owlstalk friends. Come to think of it 'Fook off' seems to be one of their favourites. :-)
I teach a weekly lesson on slang from various English speaking countries, if you want to PM me your email address I can email you all the work sheets I have used over the last 3-4 months.
There are some really odd slang terms used around the world.
Comments
bottle 2-1
a nut 9-4
carpet 3-1
rouf 4-1
ching or a hand 5-1
half a stretch 6-1
neves 7-1
a cockle 10-1
and many more
potatoes - taters
lol
As in butchers hook , look
Roberto Donadoni = pony - pony & trap = crap
Threepenny (thrupney) bits: tits
Tile: hat (for your roof)
barnet - hair
ruby - curry
mutton - deaf
boat - face
syrup - wig
Done this bird up the Gary once
Sorry valleygary
could i say typewriters and fleas to mean knees?!
Peckham Rye = Tie
Desmond Hackett = Jacket
Forsythe saga = Lager
Pigs ears = Beers
Nelson Mandela = Stella
J. Arthur Rank = w*nk
Donald Duck = ....I think you can figure that one out
'Beatrix Potter' - Rotter
'Raspberry Ripple' - Nipple
I'll have some Loop de loop = soup
I like your 'Toms' as in tom foolery = jewellery
Where's me 'Gregs' (also as in gregory peck) = specks
I've got a sore 'Hampton' as in Hampton Wick = Pr*ck
He's brown bread = dead
Gogglebox - telly
Then there's all them awful animal-money ones: monkey, pony...
Dog (& Bone) - phone
Holy Ghost - toast
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/095485778X/vizcomic-21
Rhyming Slang has been around for about 100 years or so, some people would argue that any phrase added since X date (X varying depending on the age of who's talking) isn't "proper" but I think that's a load of cobblers.
But using the word that rhymes as well as the first word in a phrase tends (with some exceptions) to mark you out as a bit of a berk.
(saying either "cobblers awls" or "berkely hunt" in full would be silly.)
Before rhyming slang, London Costers used "backslang" - words pronounced (more or less) backwards, but if it was a plural, you'd still put the s at the end of the word. Not many backslang words are still in circulation, about the only one I can think of is "yob" although now tends to mean a hooligan rather than a boy in general.
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/slang1.html (and further links at the bottom of the page) may be of interest.
smiley culture's "cockney translation" from the 80s (bound to be on youtube) is less academic but may be of interest. I'm sure some Jamaican slang has become fairly general, can't immediately think of any examples.
Shake Hands with my wife's best friend - have a wee
Strain the greens - have a wee
(Visit the) donut in Granny's greenhouse - (go to the) loo
(Have a) technicolour yawn - throw up
(Have word with) Ralph - throw up
(Have a word with( Hewie - throw up
Call God on the great white telephone - throw up
(Couldn't give a) monkey's - couldn't care less
(Make a) pigs ear (of it) - make a mess of/muck up
Shag-nasty - cheap and horrible (poor quality)
Bog-standard - typical
Ankle-biter - small child
Snotty - small child
Chavvy - small child
(Up the) chutney (locker) - up the ar*e
The Clap - VD
(Go for a) dangle - (go) fishing
Black as Newgates knocker - very dirty (with grime)
Rat ar*ed - drunk
(Lost their) Bottle or Bottled it - afraid/cowardly
Cockney rhyming slang (not yet mentioned I don't think) that I have used or have heard used
Have a gypsies (gypsies kiss) - go for a p*ss
Jack and Danny - Fanny
Richard (The Third) - Bird or Turd
Lady Godiva - Fiver (five pound note)
The Sweeny (Todd) - the Flying Squad (Met Police)
Farmers (Farmer Giles) - piles (haemorrhoids)
Chalfonts (Chalfont St Giles) - piles (haemorrhoids)
Jam Tart - fart
Creamed (Cream crackered) - knackered
Giraffe - laugh
China (Plate) - mate
Me and you - menu
Bees and Honey - money
North and South - mouth
I suppose - nose
Currant bun - sun
Joanna - piano (pronounced in cockney "pianna")
Jack and Jill - Bill
Trick cyclist - psychiatrist
Tin tack - sack (as in lost the job)
Thomas Tilling - shilling
Dicky Dirt - Shirt
Tom (and) Dick - sick
Brahms (& List) - pissed
Tom Mix - six
Band of hope - soap
Two and eight - state (as in a state of anguish)
Pen and ink - stink
Whistle (& flute) - suit
Cain and Abel - table
Earwig - twig (to listen in and learn)
Trouble & strife - wife
Pete Tong - wrong
Just to fill in the full detail on Threadkiller's list
There are some really odd slang terms used around the world.