Cockney rhyming slang can be hard to come by even for born and bred Londoners. Catch phrases like “butchers hook” and “Rosie Lee” may be relatively easy to understand, but use lesser-known cockney terms and many “won’t have a scoob” what’s going on.
But if you think you have a good handle on the Cockney language, check out the following 21 terms that are out of the ordinary to say the least. Everything from references to former Prime Ministers to our favorite sharp brands, there’s a good selection of words to stumble across.
Along with old traditions, Cockney rhyming slang was also popularized around the country when it was used during the classic British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. Here’s a list of 21 Cockney terms you’ve probably never heard – along with their translation and an example of their use in a sentence.
1. Arthur Conan Doyle
Translation: cook
Use: “Whoa mate, would you put that kettle on Arthur?”
2. Atilla the Hun
Usage: “I graduated last year with an Atilla in Business Studies.”
3. Charlie Drake
Translation: steak
Use: “I have chips with me Charlie.”
4. Clothes hanger
Translation: clanger, mistake
Use: “I’ve just gone and sent it to print with a huge coat hanger in the header!”
5. Hovis
Translation: death (from brown bread)
Use: “He’s been Hovis for years now.”
6. Ian Beale
Translation: real
Use: “I’ll keep it Ian Beale.”
7. Jet fighter
Translation: all night
Usage: “I had to drag a jet fighter to catch up on my work.”
8. Eternal loser
Translation: booze
Use: “Me local perpetual has been no police since it was taken over.”
9. Mork and Mindy.
Translation: windy
It’s a little Mork and Mindy today, isn’t it?
10. Noddy holder
Translation: shoulders
Use: “I have a terrible pain in me Noddys.”
11. Alan Minter
Translation: printer or splitter
Use: “The Alan is stuck with paper again.”
12. Damien Hirst
Translation: first class exam
Use: “My cousin just went and got a Damien from Oxford!”
13. Bill Oddie
Translation: voddie (vodka)
Use: “Give us a Bill and Coke.”
14. Britney Spears
Translation: ears, tears or beer
Use: “Wipe those Britneys.”
15. Donald Trump
Translation: hump
Use: “What have you got Donald then?”
16. Cheese and kisses
Translation: Mrs
Usage: “I got some flowers to surprise me cheese, she loved it.”
17. Cheesy Quaver
Translation: favor
Use: “Make us a cheesy Quaver, mate.”
18. German beer/ ginger beer
Translation: engineer
Use: “If you need some work on your car, my cousin is a great ginger ale.”
19. Cufflinks
Translation: drink (alcoholic)
Use: “Let’s go down in the rubber stud for a cufflink.”
20. French egg
Translation: enough (un oeuf)
Use: “That’s it, I’ve got a French egg now.”
21. Gordon Brown
Translation: clown
Use: “My dad is a bit of a Gordon.”
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