Slang

[dorsetmike]

As I don't get out much these days I wouldn't know if there was much in the wqy of present day slang; my memories of Cockney Rhyming slang and ackbay angslay are of little use. I do remember that the Cockney rhyming word could be dropped which would make it even less intelligible. It even got discussed on the BBC radio  "Brains Trust" programme, the "team"  was asked to "translate" the following:-

"Nip down to the lolly on the johnny and fetch us a packet of harrys, here's an Oxford and don't forget the kitchen."

What does this team make of it? Translation will be provided tomorrow (if necessary)

[willien]

Kitchen = change?

[peterob]

Oct 22, 2023 17:28:39 GMT dorsetmike said:

As I don't get out much these days I wouldn't know if there was much in the wqy of present day slang; my memories of Cockney Rhyming slang and ackbay angslay are of little use. I do remember that the Cockney rhyming word could be dropped which would make it even less intelligible. It even got discussed on the BBC radio  "Brains Trust" programme, the "team"  was asked to "translate" the following:-

"Nip down to the lolly on the johnny and fetch us a packet of harrys, here's an Oxford and don't forget the kitchen."

What does this team make of it? Translation will be provided tomorrow (if necessary)

My guess would be shop (lolly pop) corner (jonny horner) fags (?) pound (?) change (kitchen range)

edit:  Harry Wragg = fag

[geoffr]

Oxford = Oxford scholar dollar, 5/-

[Ivor E Tower]

The one cockney sentence I remember is of someone going into a bank and asking "Can you sausage me a Gregory"?

[John Farrell]

From a Spike Milligan book - "The karzi is flooded and there's richards floating everywhere."

[lesleysm2]

Oct 22, 2023 17:28:39 GMT dorsetmike said:

. I do remember that the Cockney rhyming word could be dropped which would make it even less intelligible. I

The second word is meant to be dropped, it's originally a thieves cant so it was based on the assumption the other speaker knew the second half of the couplet because if they didn't then it would mean nothing to them if for example they were a plain clothes copper
For example
"When I get up the apples. I'll call you on the dog about me and the trouble meeting you for a ruby"

[lesleysm2]

Oct 22, 2023 17:28:39 GMT dorsetmike said:

 ackbay angslay 

Once sat on a bus behind two schoolboys who used that to make some less than complimentary shall we say comments about me 

As I stood up to get off I informed them in fluent backslang I had understood every word they said

I wish I had had a camera handy to get the look on their faces

[Kath]

Okay, so I understood Lesley's example - apples (and pears) = stairs, dog (and bone) = phone, trouble (and strife) = wife and ruby (murray) = curry.

Mike's was a tad trickier.
Nip down to the lolly on the johnny and fetch us a packet of harrys, here's an Oxford and don't forget the kitchen.

Nip down to the lollypop (shop) on the johnny (?) and fetch us a packet of Harrys (I'm assuming this is something that rhymes with fag/s but no idea what!), here's an Oxford (scholar = dollar) and don't forget the kitchen (sink? = drink? what drink?!)

[spinno]

Oct 23, 2023 7:15:38 GMT Kath said:

Okay, so I understood Lesley's example - apples (and pears) = stairs, dog (and bone) = phone, trouble (and strife) = wife and ruby (murray) = curry.

Mike's was a tad trickier.
Nip down to the lolly on the johnny and fetch us a packet of harrys, here's an Oxford and don't forget the kitchen.

Nip down to the lollypop (shop) on the johnny (?) and fetch us a packet of Harrys (I'm assuming this is something that rhymes with fag/s but no idea what!), here's an Oxford (scholar = dollar) and don't forget the kitchen (sink? = drink? what drink?!)

Kitchen range?, Change

[velocette]

I go to the Black Country occasionally and they still have their own fairly extensive rhyming slang, enough for a Black Country Dictionary and Phrase Book to be available in W H Smiths in Epsom last year!

Attachments:

[dorsetmike]

Many correct guesses so just to consolidate

Nip down to the lollypop - shop- on the johnny horner - corner- fetch us a packet of Harry Wraggs - fags- here's an Oxford scholar - dollar (in those days 5/-) and don't forget the Kichen range - change.

[Kath]

I don't know if this is proper CRS or not but I have been known to comment that we should have called our cat Hank. Because she's always hungry.

[andy]

Oct 23, 2023 11:43:31 GMT dorsetmike said:

Many correct guesses so just to consolidate

Nip down to the lollypop - shop- on the johnny horner - corner- fetch us a packet of Harry Wraggs - fags- here's an Oxford scholar - dollar (in those days 5/-) and don't forget the Kichen range - change.

More like £12 for a pack of fags these days....or £16 for B&H gold!

[dorsetmike]

Oct 23, 2023 12:03:59 GMT andy said:

More like £12 for a pack of fags these days....or £16 for B&H gold!

Gave 'em up 20 years ago 20+ Marlboro a day - still got the COPD though