Festival of Frugality #297: The Cockney Slang Edition

My all-time favourite British stereotype is the Cockney geezer; characterised by movie makers as hapless gangsters à la Michael Caine in The Italian Job or cap-doffing, heel-clicking types like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. Needless to say your average Cockney won’t be found brandishing a chimney sweep brush or lamenting the combustibility of transit vans. ‘Cockney’ is a term given to working class Londoners, particularly those who live in the capital’s East End. As well as being a geographical and social term, ‘Cockney’ is a dialect, most famously distinguished by Cockney rhyming slang.

Dating back to the mid-nineteenth century, Cockney rhyming slang is a form of phrase construction where a common word (such as ‘easy’) is replaced with a phrase which rhymes with said word (such as ‘lemon squeezy’). To make things that much harder for the listener, a Cockney will then often drop the one or two of the words from the phrase (in this instance they’d drop ‘squeezy’). So ‘that was easy’ becomes ‘that was lemon.’

Confused? I understand. If you ever find yourself needing to speak some Cockney, here’s a run-down of the popular Cockney rhyming slang terms related to ‘money’ to help you get by…

Bread

What’s the full Cockney rhyming phrase? Bread and honey

What does it mean? Nice and simple- ‘bread and honey’ rhymes with ‘money’.

How would I use it? ‘She’s got loads of bread.’

{Photo: Kate Ter Haar}

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As students start to head back to university, Budgeting in the Fun Stuff warns students about the student loan death trap and highlights alternative ways of coping with rising education costs.

Paula from Afford Anything wonders whether we’re taking frugality too far. She asks is frugality jeopardising our health and safety?

Barbara Friedberg relays an experience which left her wondering whether her negotiating skills cost her more than she bargained for, over at Yes I Am Cheap.

Ayrton

What’s the full Cockney rhyming phrase? Ayrton Senna

What does it mean? Named after the Brazilian racing driver, Ayrton Senna da Silva, Aryton Senna rhymes with ‘tenner’, which is a popular British colloquialism for ‘£10 note’.

How would I use it? ‘Lend me an Ayrton’.

{Photo: Stuart Seeger}

Miss T at Prairie Ecothrifter shares her tips for growing tomatoes; a surprisingly easy (and addictive) hobby.

Corey at 20s Finances lets us in on how he furnished an entire apartment for just $600.

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Fanny from Living Richly on a Budget shares her top 7 coupon clipping services.

Lady

What’s the full Cockney rhyming phrase? Lady Godiva

What does it mean? Legend has it that Lady Godiva was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who protested against harsh taxes by riding through the streets of Coventry naked on a horse. Lady Godiva rhymes with ‘fiver’, a popular vernacular term for ‘£5 note’.

How would I use it? ‘Loan me a Lady.’

{Photo: We Heart It}

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With less than two months to go, Melissa from Mom’s Plans imparts tips for saving on Halloween costumes.

Money Beagle asks do no spend days really work?

Boomer and Echo divulge money saving tips for students heading to university.

The Frugal Toad shares tips on saving on video games by renting.

Dudley

What’s the full Cockney rhyming phrase? Dudley Moore

What does it mean? Named after the popular English comedian, Dudley Moore rhymes with ‘score’, which is a slang term for ‘£20 note’.

How would I use it? ‘That’ll cost a Dudley, me old China*.’

{Photo: Easyart.com}

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The Family Wallet tells us how to curb costs without compromising quality when it comes to childcare.

You Have More Money Than You Think shares tips for finding extra funds in your budget without giving up the things you love.

Annette at Credit Donkey wonders whether college education is worth it?

Pony

What’s the full Cockney rhyming phrase? While a large number of Cockney slang terms use ‘hemiteleia’ (the omission of rhyming words from a phrase), there are exceptions to the rule, including this particular example.

What does it mean? £25. It is thought that the term was brought back to the UK by English servicemen who’d been stationed in India, as Indian rupee banknotes used to feature a picture of a pony. Other Indian rupee banknotes displayed images of monkeys, which explains why ‘Monkey’ is often used as a term for ‘£500’.

How would I use it? ‘That round of Britneys** cost me a pony.’