Cockney Rhyming Slang

Cockney for neck — 'Gregory Peck' rhymes with neck, clipped to a 'Gregory'.

Cockney for the Flying Squad — 'Sweeney Todd' rhymes with Squad, clipped to 'the Sweeney'.

Cockney back-slang for 'woman' — said backwards so the subject didn't catch it.

Cockney back-slang for 'girl' — 'girl' reversed and split to make it speakable.

Cockney for wig — 'syrup of figs' rhymes with wig, clipped to a 'syrup'.

Cockney back-slang for 'tobacco' — 'tobacco' reversed for a quiet smoke or a quiet deal.

Cockney rhyming slang for believe — 'would you Adam and Eve it?'

Cockney rhyming slang for a car — 'nice jam jar, mate'.

Cockney for face — 'boat race' rhymes with face, clipped to your 'boat'.

Cockney rhyming slang for skint — totally broke, from 'boracic lint'.

Cockney for sick — 'Tom and Dick' rhymes with sick, often clipped to feeling 'Tom'.

Courage or nerve — "having bottle" means being brave; "losing your bottle" means chickening out.

Cockney for boots — 'daisy roots' rhymes with boots, clipped to your 'daisies'.

Cockney for mouth — 'north and south' rhymes with mouth, as in 'shut your north and south'.

Cockney for telephone — 'dog and bone' rhymes with phone, clipped to the 'dog'.

Cockney for eyes — 'mince pies' rhymes with eyes, clipped to your 'minces'.

Cockney rhyming slang for a Yank — a not-so-flattering term for an American.

Cockney rhyming slang for a curry — shortened to 'a ruby'.

A UK insult for a useless, good-for-nothing man who contributes nothing.

Cockney back-slang for 'beer' — spelled and said backwards over a market pint.

Cockney for mate — 'china plate' rhymes with mate, clipped to 'me old china'.

Cockney back-slang for 'look' — a coded 'watch out' that later passed into Polari.

Cockney rhyming slang for starving — 'I'm Hank Marvin' means you're famished.

Utterly stunned, like someone smacked you in the mouth with the news.

Cockney rhyming slang for the missus — your wife or partner.

Cockney rhyming slang for lies — shortened to 'porkies'.

The clipped Cockney form of 'plates of meat' — meaning feet, usually sore ones.

Cockney rhyming slang for facts — survives in 'get down to brass tacks'.

Head or brains — from loaf of bread = head; use your loaf means think.

Cockney back-slang for 'police' — 'police' spoken roughly backwards so the law wouldn't twig.

Cockney back-slang for 'half' — half a coin, half a measure, half the price.

Modern Cockney rhyming slang for a clue — 'I haven't got a Scooby'.

Cockney for feet — 'plates of meat' rhymes with feet, clipped to your 'plates'.

Cockney for hair — 'Barnet Fair' rhymes with hair, clipped to your 'Barnet'.

Butchers' back-slang for 'beef' — prime cut of the 'rechtub kelp' trade.

Cockney for legs — 'bacon and eggs' rhymes with legs, often a compliment about 'lovely bacons'.

Cockney rhyming slang for stink — something that pen and inks smells bad.

Lies — from cockney rhyming slang "porky pies" = lies.

Cockney for wife — 'trouble and strife' rhymes with wife, clipped to 'the trouble'.

Cockney for flares — 'Lionel Blairs' rhymes with flares, clipped to 'Lionels'.

Cockney for a piano — 'Joanna' rhymes with the Cockney pronunciation 'pianna'.

Cockney for dead — 'brown bread' rhymes with dead, used both literally and as a threat.

Cockney rhyming slang for stairs — the textbook example everyone learns first.

Cockney for teeth — 'Hampstead Heath' rhymes with teeth, clipped to your 'Hampsteads'.

Butchers' back-slang for 'pork' — 'pork' reversed and softened on the block.

Cockney rhyming slang for a suit — shortened to 'whistle'.

Hair — cockney rhyming slang from Barnet Fair = hair.

Cockney for a fart — 'raspberry tart' rhymes with fart, and a rude noise became a 'raspberry'.

Cockney back-slang for 'money' — the day's takings, said backwards.

Cockney back-slang for 'ten' — the top of the coded counting line on a barrow.

Cockney for kids — 'dustbin lids' rhymes with kids, usually clipped to 'dustbins'.

Cockney rhyming slang for money — 'bees' for short.

Cockney for telly — 'custard and jelly' rhymes with telly, clipped to the 'custard'.

Mature content — open to view.

Cockney back-slang for 'penny' — the smallest coin, said backwards over the barrow.

British slang for a soft, pathetic, or wimpy person who can't handle anything.

Cockney for a fiver — Lady Godiva rhymes with five-er, so a fiver becomes a 'Lady'.

Cockney back-slang for 'bad' — spoiled stock, a poor pitch, a wrong'un.

Cockney for thief — 'tea leaf' rhymes with thief, used to call someone a 'tea leaf'.

Cockney for head — 'loaf of bread' rhymes with head, behind the phrase 'use your loaf'.

A look — cockney rhyming slang from butcher's hook = look; have a butchers means have a look.

Cockney back-slang for 'pound' — the big money, said backwards.

Cockney for money — 'bread and honey' rhymes with money, the likely root of 'bread' for cash.