 Cokney
Cockney dialect comes from a certain part of London, officially
from where you can hear the bells of Bow. Probably born with the industrial
revolution, cockney accents can still be heard in much of London.
It is one of the hardest of all accents to understand (English films
with Cockney actors were often dubbed when released in America).
It would have been the language of Bill Sikes and Nancy.
More so than
in French, English accents and dialects place people both geograpically
and socially (see Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion").
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A few general rules
Words beginning with a 'H' drop the first letter: "Horse" becomes "`orse"
Words beginning with a vowel have an 'H' added: "Envelope" becomes "Henverlope"
Negatives are often doubled : " Ihave no money" becomes "I ain't got no money ".
Many vowel sounds are lengthened : "piano" is pronouced "pianner"
Verbs are often used in the third person, whatever the subject:
"I am" becomes "I is" "You come" becomes "you comes" "What else is pockets for?"
My becomes me: "My hands" becomes "me `ands"
Are not / aren't becomes aint':
The Doctor says it ain't safe to deliver unless I scrubs me hands with alcohol.
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Rhyming Slang
As all dialects, Cockney has it's own "secret" vocabulary.
Based on rhymes, often long winded and humourous,
Cockney Rhyming Slang was often a way of using obscene language without being offensive.
To take a butcher's, or to wear a titfer have passed into everyday usage.
"Minces" = mince pies = eyes
"Butcher's" = butcher's hook = look
"titfer" = tit for tat = hat
"richard" = Richard the Third = bird
"Apples and Pears" = stairs
"Trouble and strife" = wife
"Joanna" = pianner = piano
"Bristol" = Bristol City (the football club) = titty
"Khyber" = Khyber Pass = arse
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Alphabet
The classic English alphabet (A for Apple, B for Bear etc.) exists in Cockney.
Say the alphabet out loud using the correct East End pronouciation and the meaning will appear.
It is a typical example of Cockney humour, poking fun at the "educated classes".
| A for ?orses | (H)ay for (h)orses |
| B for Mutton | Beef or mutton |
| C for Yourself | See for yourself |
| D for ?ential | Defferential |
| E for brick | (H)eave a brick |
| F for vescent | Effervescent |
| G for Police | Chief of Police |
| H for Consent | (H)age for Consent |
| I for Novello | Ivor Novello* |
| J for Cakes | Jaffa cakes* |
| K for Dressing | Cave for Undressing |
| L for Leather | (H)ell for Leather* |
| M for Size | Emphasize |
| N for Lope | Envelope |
| O for the Top | Over The Top* |
| P for a Whistle | Pea for a whistle |
| Q for Lavatory | Queue for the lavatory |
| R for mo? | (H)alf a mo?* |
| S for you | As for you |
| T for Two | Tea for Two |
| U for Me | You for me |
| V for la France | Vive la France?! |
| W for Quits | Double you or quits |
| X for Breakfast | Eggs for breakfast |
| Y for Husband | Wife or husband |
| Z for Breezes | Zephyr breezes |
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Notes
* Ivor Novello was a succesful actor and singer/songwriter in the 30's
* Jaffa cakes are famous jam and chocolate biscuits
* To go Hell for Leather means to go very fast
* Over the top (also O.T.T.) meant to climb out of the trenches in the First World War. Today it means doing more than is necessary, more than your duty.
* Half a mo? = half a minute?: dans une seconde
* Double you or quits = Quit ou double
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