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The Lexicography Of Cockney Slang

October 7, 2015
by the gentle author

As part of the CRIES OF LONDON season I have devised for Bishopsgate Institute, the foremost lexicographer of slang Jonathon Green is giving a lecture about Cockney rhyming slang entitled Slingin’ the Old Jack Lang: London’s Coster Language on October 22nd at 7:30pm. Click here for tickets

Copies of Paul Bommer’s print ‘The Cockney Alphabet’ are available from the online shop

You may like to read my original profile

Jonathon Green, Lexicographer

Jonathon Green on Cockney Novelists

Jonathon Green on Smithfield Slang

9 Responses leave one →
  1. Roger Carr permalink
    October 7, 2015

    C – for confused. Am I missing something?

  2. October 7, 2015

    Blimey! ‘Orf let the trouble-and-strife ave a decco at this

  3. Richard permalink
    October 7, 2015

    Aphorism, Beef tea, Seaforth Highlanders, Deferential, Effervescent etc

  4. October 7, 2015

    L – for lost. Where is my hat? 😀

  5. October 7, 2015

    Roger,

    C (see) for miles

  6. October 7, 2015

    This brings back good memories of my misspent youth! Valerie

  7. October 7, 2015

    T-4-2 — Nothing beats a full English Breakfast or the famous Cream Tea!

    Love & Peace
    ACHIM

  8. Stephen Foster permalink
    October 13, 2015

    Rogers. It’s not the traditionally Cockney Rhyming Slang. Trouble and Strife, Apple and Stairs and that kind of thing. Actually I’m not even sure it is a thing.
    In this case, the letters actually represent part of a word, and FOR represents the other. For instance T For gums uses the T and the For to make the work Teeth, so Teeth Or Gums. B For Mutton translates to Beef Or Mutton with B and the F translating to BeeF OR Mutton. Also “O for the Fence” stands for Over the Fence with O & For translating to Over.
    Frankly, I don’t get all of them, and they confused the hell out of me as they all don’t follow the same rules.
    Hope this helps

  9. Joe Norton permalink
    May 14, 2016

    R for Askey was an old one.

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