UNDERSTANDING COCKNEYŽSV, 1. rujna 2011.

Marinko Uremović

COCKNEY

•Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End.

•Linguistically, it refers to the form of English spoken by this group.

Features of Cockney English

•Possessive me – me house

•Drop the ‘h’ sound – I’m ‘aving…

•Pronunciation of ‘th’ (thief, this, brother) •Question tags – innit

•Double negative ’ I didn't see nuffink.’

COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG

•Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's dialect or language.

HISTORY

•John Camden Hotten in his 1859 Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant and Vulgar Words writes about (English) rhyming slang originated in the 1840s with costermongers.

•Used by criminals in order to hide true meaning from the police.

•Nowadays cockney rhyming slang is used mostly when talking about some dodgy business (obscene words, basic phyiscal needs, men commenting on women) or when you want to obscure the meaning of what is said from outsiders.

•Some expressions have become a part of standard English (Use your loaf!)

Used in contemporary culture:

•Guy Ritchie movies•Only Fools and Horses•Clockwork Orange•Mind Your Language•Austin Powers – Goldmember•Eastenders •Various songs

•Not indigenous to East London any more

•Cockney Rhyming Slang can be found throughout the UK, America, Australia…

How is it used?

•‘Ello me ol’ China, I ‘aven’t seen you in donkeys.

• ‘Ello me ol’ China, I ‘aven’t seen you in donkeys.

•China Plate

•Donkey’s ears

•China Plate =mate

•Donkey’s ears = years

•‘Ello me ol’ China (Plate), I ‘aven’t seen you in donkey’s (ears).

•Hello my old mate, I haven’t seen you in years.

Bull and cow

•row, fight

Trouble and Strife

•wife

•Me trouble is waiting for me.

Dustbin Lids

•kids

•Alternative: teapot lids

Frog and Toad

•road

Rub a Dub

•pub

Brahms and Liszt

•pissed

•He's well Brahms and Liszt , don't give ‘im any more to drink.

Jack the Dandy

•brandy

Dickie Dirt

•shirt

Daisy Roots

•boots

Apples and Pears

•stairs

Hampstead Heath

•teeth

•I'm going down the dentists to get me hampsteads checked.

Half-inch

•pinch (steal)

•Someone's half-inched me pint!

Rabbit and Pork

•Talk

•He would not stop rabbitting!

Rosie Lee

•Tea

•Fancy a cup of Rosie Lee?

Dog and bone

•phone

Cherry Hogg

•dog

Pork pie

•lie

•Blimey - he gets two beers in ‘im and he starts telling porkies.

Scooby-Doo

•clue

•I haven't got a scooby.

Mutt and Jeff (mutton)

•deaf

•He’s mutt and jeff. You have to talk up.

Boat race

•face

•She looks awright from behind, but you wanna see the boat mate

Butcher’s Hook

•look

•Have a butchers at that geezer!

Loaf of Bread

•head

•Use your loaf next time!

Mince Pies

•eyes

•What nice mince pies she’s got!

Barnet Fair

•hair

•I'm 'avin my Barnet chopped on sa'aday.

Bees and honey

•money

•Can't go in there without any bees.

Ginger Beer

•queer, homosexual

Donkey’s Ears

•years

Plates of Meat

•feet

•I need to rest me plates for a moment!

Pig’s ear

•beer

•Come on, let me buy you a pig in a rub a dub.

Nelly Duff

•puff, breath – life

•Not on your Nelly!

All Time Loser

•boozer

North and South

•mouth

•What big north she’s got!

Adam and Eve

•believe

•I just can’t Adam and Eve it!

Gregory Peck

•Neck

•Get that pint dahn yer Gregory.

Whistle and Flute

•suit

•Fancy whistle, me old China!

Barney Rouble

•trouble

•He got into a real barney last night!

Dickory Dock

•clock

•I need to be home before dickory hits twelve.

Lady Godiva

•fiver, five pounds

Jam Jar

•car

Brown Bread

•dead

Classic Cockney vs. mockney vs. popney

•Classic Cockney – well established with long history

•Mockney – Cockney spoken by people coming from a middle or upper-middle class background(Guy Ritchie, Jamie Oliver, Lily Allen)

•Popney – modern slang depicting contemporary celebrities (Britney Spears, Bradd Pitt, Emma Freuds)

Difficulties•Cultural references (mutt and jeff)

•Geographical references (Hampstead Heath)

•Prone to change (Britney Spears for beers)

•A lot of profanity

•Cockney will die out in the next generation

•Would you use it in your class?

•Why or why not?

•How would you use it?

•Tom Hanks for your attention!