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DIRECTORY OF SAUCY SLANG
Where Did That Expression Really Come From?
Know Your Onions! A Jumble of Random Slang
THE QUEEN’S ENGLISH
View Slang and Curses WordMap
A cheeky collection of all slang, insults, curses and idioms available from all categories
Where Did That Expression Really Come From?
Know Your Onions! A Jumble of Random Slang
THE QUEEN’S ENGLISH
- The British Greatest Hits List
- The British Love their Bits N’ Bobs
- Chockablock of Quirky British Slang
- The Cockney Bits About Rhyming Slang
- Raggabrash Runaway to the Middle Ages
- The Victorian Play of Bricky Old Bags
- The Victorian Replay of Bags of Mystery
- Is That Victorian Gibberish or Slang?
- V is for Vulgar Victorian Vagabonds
- Insulted by a Clanging Church Bell
- Two Whoops & A Cowboy Holler
- Penny for Your Thoughts - l Money Talks
- Making a Portmanteau Love Connection
- The Name of the Game in Sports Idioms
- Stealing the Cliff Notes for Millennials
- Pirates Plundering With Curses and Slang
- Walkabout of Aussie Slang - (Home)
- Stirring the Possum - (People)
- Happy Little Vegemite - (Feelings)
- True Blue Values - (Country & Government)
- Sozzled Didgeridoo Solo - (Entertainment)
- Scratching Your Arse - (Curses & Insults)
- Short the Stack - (Abbreviations)
- Froth and Bubbles - (Rhyming Slang)
View Slang and Curses WordMap
A cheeky collection of all slang, insults, curses and idioms available from all categories
FROTH & BUBBLES
Rhyming Slang
Rhyming slang is a form of slang word play in the English language. It is prevalent in the UK, Ireland and Australia.
It was first used in the early 19th century in the East End of London with what is known as Cockney rhyming slang. In the United States, especially the criminal underworld of the West Coast between 1880 and 1920, rhyming slang has sometimes been known as Australian slang.
The construction of rhyming slang involves replacing a common word with a phrase of two or more words (the last of which rhymes with the original word) then omitting the secondary rhyming word from the end of the phrase (which is thereafter implied). This makes the origin and meaning of the phrase elusive to listeners not in the know.
Thank
For Example:
It remains a mystery if rhyming slang was a linguistic accident, a game, or if it was meant to intentionally confuse non-locals. If deliberate, it may also have been used to maintain a sense of community, allow traders to talk confidentially in the marketplaces, or maybe by criminals to confuse the police. It’s all speculation.
It was first used in the early 19th century in the East End of London with what is known as Cockney rhyming slang. In the United States, especially the criminal underworld of the West Coast between 1880 and 1920, rhyming slang has sometimes been known as Australian slang.
The construction of rhyming slang involves replacing a common word with a phrase of two or more words (the last of which rhymes with the original word) then omitting the secondary rhyming word from the end of the phrase (which is thereafter implied). This makes the origin and meaning of the phrase elusive to listeners not in the know.
Thank
For Example:
- Dog's eye with dead horse - “meat pie with tomato sauce”
It remains a mystery if rhyming slang was a linguistic accident, a game, or if it was meant to intentionally confuse non-locals. If deliberate, it may also have been used to maintain a sense of community, allow traders to talk confidentially in the marketplaces, or maybe by criminals to confuse the police. It’s all speculation.
- Rhyming slang is often used as a substitute for words regarded as taboo, often to the extent that the association with the taboo word becomes unknown over time.
- Rhyming slang is often used in an abbreviated form. For example,"Go and grab some bugs" (meaning "bugs bunny") and rhymes with "money.”
- As a complete example,
- ENGLISH: “Hello friend, here is the money I owe you, put it in your pocket, and give it to your wife"
- RHYMING SLANG VERSION: "ello china, got some bugs for ya, sky 'em - give 'em to ya cheese."
AUSSIE RHYMING SLANG
Warning: may contain offensive language.
- A -
- B -
- C -
- D -
- E -
- F -
- G -
- H -
- J -
- K -
- L -
- M -
- N -
- O -
- P -
- R -
- S -
- T -
- U -
- W -
Warning: may contain offensive language.
- A -
- Adrian Quist - "pissed", i.e. drunk.
- Al Capone - "telephone".
- B -
- Bag of fruit – "suit" of clothes.
- Billy lids - "kids". Also “tin lids” (Cockney rhyming slang.) or, more rarely, “saucepan lids”.
- Blundstone (boot) - "ute", utility vehicle, a tradesman's vehicle, from a popular brand of workman's boots.
- Boat race - "face".
- Bread crumb - "bum", a derelict.
- Bugs Bunny - "money"
- Butcher's (hook) - "crook", ill, unwell; also, "look".
- C -
- Cheese and kisses - "missus", wife.
- China plate - "mate", friend, compatriot. Also Cockney rhyming slang; usually shortened to "china".
- Coffee scroll - "Moll, loose or promiscuous woman”. Sometimes shortened to "coffee"
- Comic cuts or comics - "guts"; no longer in common use.
- Corn cob - “snob”
- D -
- Dad 'n' Dave - "shave".
- Dapto dog - "wog", someone of Mediterranean or eastern European descent.
- Darby and Joan - "all alone"
- Dead horse or race horse – “tomato sauce”
- Dig in the grave – "shave".
- Dog and bone - "phone".
- Dog's eye - "pie".
- Dog's eye with dead horse - “meat pie with tomato sauce.”
- Dropkick (and punt) – a stupid person; originally a despicable person (cunt) Refers to two types of kick in football.
- E -
- Eau-de-Cologne - "phone", after a deodorant that was popular in the 60s and 70s, often shortened to 'oadie'.
- F -
- Fiddly-did - "quid", after a one pound note. Not used since decimal currency was introduced in 1966.
- Four-by-two - "Jew", person of Jewish faith (4 inches x 2 inches is common timber board size - now 90x45mm).
- Frog and toad - "road", such as in the phrase "hit the frog 'n 'toad" (that is depart). Also Cockney rhyming slang.
- Froth and bubble - "trouble”
- G -
- Ginger (ale) - "tail", as in "Get off me ginger!" (stop following me), or "a swift kick up the ginger".
- Ginger beer – "engineer"; also "queer" (homosexual) in Cockney rhyming slang.
- Goanna - "piano" (pianner).
- Good cheer - "beer”
- H -
- Hard Hit- shit - “going for a hard hit!!”
- Do a Harold Holt - To escape; to make a rapid departure. To do a Harold Holt is rhyming slang for bolt.
- Half-back flanker - "wanker", after a position in Australian rules football
- Hammer (and tack) - "back”
- Hey diddle diddle - "middle", particularly in Australian rules football
- Horse's hoof - "poof", a homosexual
- Hugs 'n' kisses - "missus”
- J -
- Jack in the box - "pox" (venereal disease).
- Jack the dancer – "cancer"
- James Hird - "turd".
- K -
- Knees - "please".
- Khyber Pass - "arse". often abbrev. such as "he needs a damn good kick up the Khyber".
- L -
- Loaf of bread - "head".
- M -
- Meat Pie - "try", a score in Rugby football
- Merri Creek - "Greek" (Merri Creek is a creek in Melbourne).
- Mickey Mouse - "Grouse" (a term used mostly in Melbourne for 'Great'),
- Monkey's fist - "pissed",
- Moreton Bay Fig - "wig", after the type of tree.
- N -
- Noah's (Ark) - "shark".
- Nelson Riddle - "piddle" (urinate).
- Nuclear sub - "pub"
- O -
- Optic, optic nerve - "perve", leering look, as in "Eh, china, have an optic at that sheila!"
- Oxford scholar - "dollar”
- P -
- Pen and Ink - "stink"
- Persian Rugs - "drugs"
- Pig's Ear - "beer".
- Polly Waffle - "brothel", from the proprietary name of a chocolate bar.
- Pork Pie, porky pie or porky - "lie", typically a white lie, as in "When I looked into it I realized the whole story was a porky pie". Also Cockney rhyming slang.
- R -
- Red hots - "trots", that is, trotting horse races, or diarrhea.
- Reg Grundys - "undies", underpants, from Reg Grundy, well known Australian television producer, sometimes also "Reginalds".
- Rock and roll - "dole", unemployment benefit, social security payment, as in "He won't work in an iron lung as long as he can get on the rock 'n' roll."
- Ronny Coote - "root", slang for sexual intercourse.
- Rubbity Dub - "pub".
- Rubber stamp - "tamp", as in tampered, molested, kiddy fiddler.
- Ruben Wiki - “Sickie”, as in taking the day off from work sick.
- Ryan Mongan - "Tongan", as in a person from the country Tonga.
- S -
- Sandshoe - "thank you".
- Sausage roll – "goal", as in team sports.
- Scotch tape - "rape", generally used in shortened form "scotch".
- Septic tank (or seppo) – "yank", slang for American.
- Sky rocket – "pocket".
- Snake's hiss – "piss" (urinate), as in "I'm busting for a snake's." Also swing and miss
- Steak and kidney - "Sydney".
- Spanish dancer - "cancer".
- Stuey Diver - "fiver", five-dollar (originally five-pound) note.
- Sour grape - "rape"
- Sway and swerve - "perv"
- Swing and a miss - "piss", from American baseball terminology, as in "Time for a swing and a miss."
- T -
- Tea leaf - "thief". Also Cockney rhyming slang.
- Tin tank - "bank".
- To and from - "pom" (an English person).
- Trouble and strife – "wife". Also Cockney rhyming slang.
- Twist and twirl - "girl" (girlfriend)
- U -
- Uncle Doug - "tug" i.e. Masturbate
- Uncle Gus - "bus"
- Uncle Merv - "perv" (look or stare, sometimes with sexual intent)
- W -
- Wallaby Ted - "rooted" (Rooted), tired from strenuous activity.
- Wally Grout - "shout", to buy a round of drinks, from the Australian cricketer by that name, as in "It’s your Wally". Depending on context, it could also mean "stout" or "snout".
- Warwick Farm - "arm", from the racecourse in Sydney, as in "He grabbed her by the Warwick Farms".
- Westpac banker - "wanker" (Westpac is a major Australian bank). Also 'merchant banker'.
A BEAUTIFULLY OBSCURE WORD
this site for logophiles and writers & word lovers is a part of A SERIES OF BEAUTIFUL WORDS
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Words are also posted on twitter under the hashtags #beautifulwords and shared on pinterest boards
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Content by Kairos ~ @kairosoflife
Homepage | Portfolio | Contact | Feedback
Never underestimate the strength and power of a beautiful vocabulary
Original content © 2021 Copyright, Kairos
this site for logophiles and writers & word lovers is a part of A SERIES OF BEAUTIFUL WORDS
Collection of Vocabulary Books, Sites and Resources
Series Homepage | View Sites | Download Books
Words are also posted on twitter under the hashtags #beautifulwords and shared on pinterest boards
HOME | ABOUT SITE | SITEMAPS | SEARCH
Content by Kairos ~ @kairosoflife
Homepage | Portfolio | Contact | Feedback
Never underestimate the strength and power of a beautiful vocabulary
Original content © 2021 Copyright, Kairos
