Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Words on Wednesday ~ GLOSSARY OF THE RHYMING SLANG

From: The Slang Dictionary Etymological, Historical and Andecdotal by John Camden Hotten 1913

Abraham’s willing - a shilling.

Allacompain - rain.

Any racket - a penny faggot.

Apples and pears - stairs.

Artful dodger - a lodger.

Baby’s pap - a cap.

Barnet fair - hair.

Battle of the Nile - a tile—vulgar term for a hat. “Cool his BATTLE, Bill.”

Ben flake - a steak.

Billy Button - mutton.

Birch-broom - a room.

Bird-lime - time.

Bob - my pal, a gal,—vulgar pronunciation of girl.

Bonnets so blue - Irish stew.

Bottle of spruce - a deuce,—slang for twopence.

Bowl the hoop - soup.

Brian o’Linn - gin.

Brown Bess - yes—the affirmative.

Brown Joe - no—the negative.

Bull and cow - a row.

Bucket afloat - a coat. This is also called I’m AFLOAT, and is generally contracted to “cool his Imer,” or “nark his bucket.” There is no necessity to particularize all contractions. With the key already given they will be evident.

Bullock’s horn - in pawn.

Bushy-park - a lark.

Butter flap - a trap, a light cart.

Cain and Abel - a table.

Camden-town - a brown,—vulgar term for a halfpenny.

Castle rag - a flag,—cant term for fourpence.

Cat and mouse - a house.

Chalk farm - the arm.

Charing Cross - a horse.

Charley Lancaster - a handkercher,—vulgar pronunciation of handkerchief.

Charley Prescott - a waistcoat.

Cherry ripe - a pipe.

Chevy chase - the face.

Chump (or CHUNK) of wood - no good.

Covent Garden - a farden,—Cockney pronunciation of farthing.

Cow and calf - to laugh.

Cows and kisses - mistress or missus—referring to the ladies.

Currants and plums - thrums,—slang for threepence.

Daisy roots - a pair of boots.

Dan Tucker - butter.

Ding-dong - a song.

Dry land - you understand.

Duke of York - walk, or talk, according to context.

East and south - the mouth.

Eat a fig - to “crack a crib,” to break into a house, or commit a burglary.

Egyptian hall - a ball.

Elephant’s trunk - drunk.

Epsom races - a pair of braces.

Everton toffee - coffee.

Field of wheat - a street.

Fillet of veal - the treadwheel in the house of correction.

Finger and thumb - rum.

Flag unfurled - a man of the world.

Flea and louse - a house.

Flounder and dab (two kinds of flat fish) - a cab.

Fly my kite - a light.

Frog and toad - the main road.

Garden gate - a magistrate.

German flutes - a pair of boots.

Girl and boy - a saveloy,—a penny sausage.

Glorious sinner - a dinner.

Gooseberry pudding (vulgo PUDDEN) - a woman.

Harry Bluff - snuff.

Hod of mortar - a pot of porter.

Hounslow Heath - teeth.

I desire - a fire.

I’m afloat - a boat. This is also used for coat. See ante.

Isabeller (vulgar pronunciation of ISABELLA) - an umbrella.

Isle of France - a dance.

I suppose - the nose.

Jack-a-dandy - brandy.

Jack Randall (a noted pugilist) - a candle.

Jenny Linder - a winder,—vulgar pronunciation of window.

Joe Savage - a cabbage.

Lath and plaster - a master.

Lean and lurch - a church.

Lean and fat  - a hat.

Linendraper - paper.

Live eels - fields.

Load of hay - a day.

Long acre - a baker.

Lord John Russell - a bustle.

Lord Lovel - a shovel.

Lump of coke - a bloke—vulgar term for a man.

Lump of lead - the head.

Macaroni - a pony.

Maids adorning - the morning.

Maidstone jailer - a tailor.

Mince pies - the eyes.

Mother and daughter - water.

Muffin baker - a Quaker (slang term for excrement).

Navigators - taturs,—vulgar pronunciation of potatoes.

Navigator Scot - baked potatoes all hot.

Needle and thread - bread.

Never fear - beer.

Night and day - the play.

Nose and chin - a winn,—ancient cant for a penny.

Noser my knacker - tobacco.

Oats and barley - Charley.

Oats and chaff - a footpath.

Orinoko (pronounced ORINOKER) - a poker.

Over the stile - sent for trial.

Paddy Quick, thick - or a stick.

Pen and ink - a stink.

Pitch and fill - Bill,—vulgar shortening for William.

Plates of meat - the feet.

Plough the deep - to go to sleep.

Pope o’ Rome - home.

Read and write - to fight.

River Lea - tea.

Rogue and villain - a shillin,—common pronunciation of shilling.

Roll me in the dirt - a shirt.

Rory o’More - the floor. Also used to signify a whore.

Round the houses - trousies,—vulgar pronunciation of trousers.

Salmon and trout - the mouth.

Scotch Peg - a leg.

Ship in full sail - a pot of ale.

Sir Walter Scott - a pot,—generally of beer.

Snake in the grass - a looking-glass.

Sorrowful tale - three months in jail.

Split asunder - a costermonger.

Steam-packet - a jacket.

St. Martin’s-le-Grand - the hand.

Stop thief - beef.

Sugar and honey - money.

Sugar-candy - brandy.

Take a fright - night.

Three-quarters of a peck - the neck,—in writing, among experts, expressed by the simple “¾,” as it is pronounced.

Tom Tug - a mug (a fool).

Tommy o’Rann - scran,—vulgar term for food.

Tommy Tripe - to pipe; that is, to observe. “Tommy Tripe his plates of meat.”

Top Jint (vulgar pronunciation of joint) - a pint—of beer.

Turtle doves - a pair of gloves.


Two-foot rule - a fool.

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