Ahhh London, a mega-city, great metropolis and one of the finest places in the world. With millions of people living here, it’s an amazing place to get creative and find other like-minded people. After all, London has borne various famous writers such as William Shakespeare, E.M. Forster and Charles Dickens. But instead of the Queen’s English, you might find that some people are into their Cockney Rhyming Slang.



Although there are some disputes about the origins, it is thought that Cockney Rhyming Slang originated in the mid 1800s in East London. It was used by market traders, possibly to disguise what they were talking about when customers were around. Nowadays, the English do understand the most famous phrases, but it is still mainly heard just in East London.



Don’t make a Jaffa Cake, and check out our favourite phrases. Maybe it will inspire you in your latest Captain Cook.



(Jaffa Cake = mistake, Captain Cook = book)

Cockney rhyming slang: The old favourites (easy)

Dog and Bone = phone Pass us the Dog and Bone



Apples and Pears = stairs I’m going up the Apples and Pears



Trouble and Strife = wife I’ve gotta get back to the Trouble and Strife



Butcher’s Hook = look Go on, let me have a Butcher’s Hook



Brown bread = dead He’s been brown bread for years



China plate = mate Alright me old China plate?

Cockney rhyming slang: Slap bang in the middle (medium)

Apple pie = sky Would you look at that Apple Pie?



Fat Boy Slim = gym I’m just popping off to the Fat Boy Slim



Give and take = cake Do you fancy a bit of give and take?



Rosie Lee = tea I’ll have a nice cuppa Rosie Lee



Adam and Eve = believe I don’t Adam and Eve it

Cockney rhyming slang: Down right difficult (hard)

Bottle and stopper = copper (policeman) Watch out, bottle and stopper coming



Dog’s Eye = meat pie Give me a bit of Dog’s Eye then



Don Revie = bevvy (beverage/drink) Are we going for a couple of Don Revie’s then?



Kettle and hob = fob (watch) *Pocket watches used to be called fobs, hence how this kettle and hob (stove) came about*



Rattle and clank = bank I’ve gotta go down the old rattle and clank before we have a few Don Revie’s tonight and I’m Scotch mist (pissed)



For more Cockney Rhyming Slang, head to this website. You never know, you might be so inspired you’ll create a Cockney character in your next novel, or even start your own slang!