The slang is dying out amid Londonââ¬â¢s diverse, multi-cultural society, new research has revealed.
A study of 2,000 adults, including half from the capital, found the world famous East End lingo which has been mimicked and mocked for decades is on the wane.
The survey, commissioned by The Museum of London, revealed almost 80 per cent of Londoners do not understand phrases such as 'donkeyââ¬â¢s earsââ¬â¢ - slang for years.
Other examples of rhyming slang which baffled participants included 'mother hubbardââ¬â¢, which means cupboard, and 'bacon and eggsââ¬â¢ which means legs.
ââ¬ÅThe origins of Cockney slang reflects the diverse, immigrant community of Londonââ¬â¢s East End in the 19th century so perhaps itââ¬â¢s no surprise that other forms of slang are taking over as the cultural influences on the city change.ââ¬Â
The term 'cokenayââ¬â¢ was used in The Reeveââ¬â¢s Tale, the third story in Geoffrey Chaucerââ¬â¢s The Canterbury Tales, to describe a child who was ââ¬Åtenderly brought upââ¬Â and ââ¬Åeffeminateââ¬Â.
By the early 16th century the reference was commonly used as a derogatory term to describe town-dwellers. Later still, it was used to indicate those born specifically within earshot of the ringing of Bow-bell at St Mary-le-Bow church in east London.
Research by The Museum of London found that just 20 per cent of the 2,000 people questioned knew that 'rabbit and porkââ¬â¢ meant talk.
It also emerged that very few of those polled understood the meaning of tommy tucker (supper), watch the custard and jelly (telly) or spend time with the teapot lids (kids).
Instead, the report found that most Londoners now have a grasp of just a couple of Cockney phrases such as tea leaf (thief), and apples and pears (stairs).
The most-used cockney slang was found to be the phrase 'porky piesââ¬â¢ with 13 per cent of those questioned still using it. One in 10 used the term 'cream crackeredââ¬â¢.
Forty per cent of the study also said they felt cockney rhyming slang was dying out, and a third admitted they were sad it was fading away.
Source: http://www.telegraph...ming-slang.html
Question: Do any of you use Cockney slang?
A study of 2,000 adults, including half from the capital, found the world famous East End lingo which has been mimicked and mocked for decades is on the wane.
The survey, commissioned by The Museum of London, revealed almost 80 per cent of Londoners do not understand phrases such as 'donkeyââ¬â¢s earsââ¬â¢ - slang for years.
Other examples of rhyming slang which baffled participants included 'mother hubbardââ¬â¢, which means cupboard, and 'bacon and eggsââ¬â¢ which means legs.
ââ¬ÅThe origins of Cockney slang reflects the diverse, immigrant community of Londonââ¬â¢s East End in the 19th century so perhaps itââ¬â¢s no surprise that other forms of slang are taking over as the cultural influences on the city change.ââ¬Â
The term 'cokenayââ¬â¢ was used in The Reeveââ¬â¢s Tale, the third story in Geoffrey Chaucerââ¬â¢s The Canterbury Tales, to describe a child who was ââ¬Åtenderly brought upââ¬Â and ââ¬Åeffeminateââ¬Â.
By the early 16th century the reference was commonly used as a derogatory term to describe town-dwellers. Later still, it was used to indicate those born specifically within earshot of the ringing of Bow-bell at St Mary-le-Bow church in east London.
Research by The Museum of London found that just 20 per cent of the 2,000 people questioned knew that 'rabbit and porkââ¬â¢ meant talk.
It also emerged that very few of those polled understood the meaning of tommy tucker (supper), watch the custard and jelly (telly) or spend time with the teapot lids (kids).
Instead, the report found that most Londoners now have a grasp of just a couple of Cockney phrases such as tea leaf (thief), and apples and pears (stairs).
The most-used cockney slang was found to be the phrase 'porky piesââ¬â¢ with 13 per cent of those questioned still using it. One in 10 used the term 'cream crackeredââ¬â¢.
Forty per cent of the study also said they felt cockney rhyming slang was dying out, and a third admitted they were sad it was fading away.
Source: http://www.telegraph...ming-slang.html
Question: Do any of you use Cockney slang?
