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The famous rhyming dialect of East London. Cockneys have a very particular way of speaking, often dropping one or more words from their expressions e.g. so that 'knobbly knees' (keys) becomes simply 'knobblies'. They also, usually, pronounce 'my' as 'me', and 'and' as 'n'.

RHYMING COCKNEY SLANG
At Home, Eating And Drinking
The Body And Clothes
People And Family
Using Money
Time, Places And Social Life

C  O  C  K  N  E  Y     S  L  A  N  G

:: Use Ctrl+F to search for a specific idiom or scroll down for the complete listing ::

AT HOME

Mickey Mouse (house)

In the Mickey Mouse at last... let's relax.

Roger Moore (door)

Shut that bloody Roger!

Knobbly knees (keys)

I was too drunk: I left me knobblies in the car. (me=my)

Apple and pears (stairs)

Mind out on the apple 'n' pears!

Cain and Abel (table)

This Cain's too small.

Dog and bone (phone)

She spends hours on the dog.

Wobbly jelly (telly)

Switch off the wobbly... I'm ready to drop.

Born 'n' bred (bed)

I'm too tired 'n' ready for born and bred.

April shower (flower)

I'll buy her some aprils!

Captain Cook (book)

I've to read me Captain.(me=my)

Burton on Trent (rent)

My Burton is too high!

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EATING AND DRINKING

Brixton riot (diet)

You're right: she's so big but she never starts a serious Brixton.

Kidney punch (lunch)

It's late... just the time for a good kidney.

Pony (maccaroni)

How about some pony with tomato 'n' cheese?

Tommy Tucker (supper)

I'll do with Tommy...

Ruby Murray (curry)

Indian people love cooking a good Ruby!

Stand at ease (cheese)

Give us a bit of stand!

Holy ghost (toast)

There's only one bit of holy left... anyone interested?

Rosie Lee

A mug of Rosie?

Sexton Blake (cake)

Who wants a bit of the Sexton?

Fisherman's daughter (water)

Ooh, I'm parched but, I'm runnin' out of fisherman.

Aristotle (bottle)

One more Aristotle of wine?

Vincent Price (ice)

Nothing better than a good scotch with Vincent!

Pig's ear (beer)

So, you don't like pig's ear at all...

Nelson Mandela (Stella)

Another pint of Nelson?

Cow 'n' calf (half)

For me just a cow 'n' calf, please.

Fine 'n' dandy (brandy)

Yes please, some more fine 'n' dandy.

Mother's ruin (gin)

Mother's ruin 'n' tonic, please.

Tom Thumb (rum)

I'd prefer some Tom Thumb, instead of beer

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THE BODY AND CLOTHES

Chevy Chase (face)

Hi, pretty Chevy!

Mince pies (eyes)

What a lovely pair of mince pies!

German band (hand)

Pay attention Susan: he has wandering Germans!

North 'n' south (mouth)

She's got such a big north 'n' south.

Bushel 'n' peck (neck)

I've a bushel ache.

Hampstead Heath (teeth)

Is that baking soda the secret of your white Hampsteads?

Barnet Fair (hair)

I've just 'ad me Barnet cut. ('ad=had; 'me'=my)

Chas 'n' Dave (shave)

You look like a poor beggar... you should give yourself a Chas 'n' Dave.

Cobbler's Awis (balls)

You're talking Cobblers!

Khyber Pass (arse)

Too cold... I'm freezing me Khyber off! (me=my)

Ham 'n' eggs (legs)

I'm cream crackered... I can't feel me ham 'n' eggs. (me=my)

Plates of meat (feet)

Pay attention to your plates of meat whilst walking on the sand.

Pen 'n' ink (stink)

Blimey, what a pen 'n' ink! Don't you ever wash?

(To be) Tom 'n' dick (sick)

He's still a bit Tommy.

Posh'n'Becks (specs)

I can't see a bleedin' thing without me Posh 'n' Becks! (me=my)

Day trippers (slippers)

Nothing better than me day trippers, after that big walk. (me=my)

Harpers 'n' Queens (jeans)

Do you like me new Harpers? (me=my)

Dicky Dirt (shirt)

Is that the famous Dicky you were talking about?

Tit for tat (hat)

This's the new tit for tat from me collection. (me=my)

Rhythm 'n' blues (shoes)

I'm kicking me rhythm 'n' blues off. (me=my)

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PEOPLE AND FAMILY

Septic tank (yank)

He's a real septic, brought up in the Bronx.

Love 'n' kisses (missus)

You know... me love 'n' kisses adores the children. (me=my)

Mother of pearl (girl)

Have you ever seen the new mother of pearl in the bar?

Pot 'n' pan (old man)

The club you told me is full of pots 'n' pans.

Pitch 'n' toss (boss)

Mind who you're talking to: you're not the pitch 'n' toss here!

China plate (mate)

How you doing, me old china? (me=my)

Tea leaf (thief)

Stop that tea leaf!

Skin 'n' blister (sister)

She's his Skin, she's not bad.

Trouble 'n' strife, Duchess of Fife (wife)

Have you seen me old trouble (me old Duchess)? (me=my)

Dustbin lids, God forbids (kids)

I'm really fed up with those dustbins!

Currant bun (son)

Jerry is their currant bun... he really takes after them.

Bricks 'n' mortar (daughter)

She's their bricks 'n' mortar.

Iron hoof (pouf), Ginger beer (queer)

He looks like an iron... (He looks like a ginger... ) doesn't he?

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USING MONEY

Bees 'n' honey (money)

Ooh no!... penniless: no bees 'n' honey left.

Jack 'n' Jill (bill)

Give me the Jack 'n' Jill, it's my turn tonight.

Boracic lint (skint, broke)

Sorry I'm boracic... can you pay?

Sky rocket (pocket)

I always like to keep me 'ands in me rockets! (me=my)

Ayrton Sennas (tenners)

Life here is a matter of few Ayrton Sennas... I'm sure that you can afford it.

Lady Godivas (fivers)

We can share the fags: give me a couple of Lady Godivas...

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TIME, PLACES AND SOCIAL LIFE

Bird lime (time)

I've to go... it's the bird lime for the last bus.

Chicken curry (hurry)

Step up... I'm in a chicken curry!

Drum 'n' bass (place)

I'd like to live in this drum 'n' bass.

Frog 'n' toad (road)

In the middle of the frog...

Noah's Ark (park)

This Noah is full of peeping toms!

Scapa flow (go)

I've to scapa flow now!

Sherbet dab (cab)

There's a bus (singular) strike today... I'll catch the first sherbet for the city.

Bat 'n' wicket (ticket)

I have to buy the old bat 'n' wicket in advance.

Jack Jones (alone)

I'm all on me jack tonight. (me=my)

Cocoa

I should Cocoa.

Dicky Bird (word)

Not a dicky bird 'bout yesterday!

Rabbit 'n' pork (talk)

We were rabbitting all night long.

Quirk laugh (bath)

I could do with a quirk.

Hit 'n' miss (kiss)

Give us a hit!

Holy friar (liar)

You bleedin' friar! (bleedin'= bloody)

Adam 'n' Eve (believe)

Would you Adam 'n' Eve it?

Linen drapers (papers)

There isn't much news in the drapers.

Ding dong (song)

Give us another ding dong!

Rub a dub

We're just going down to the old rub-a-dub.

Oily rag (fag)

Give me an oily... I've run out.

Laa-dee-dars (cigars)

I don't like that bad smell of your laa-dee-dars.

Boutrous-Ghali (cocaine) also "Charlie"

I heard that she's addicted to Boutrous.

Guy Ritchie (bitchy)

Stop shooting your Guy Ritchie glances at me!

Hare 'n' Hound (found)

No way to Hare 'n' Hound the hat I lost.