Scots rhymin slang

jockneyMichael Hance ask on on FB “Ony o ye’s got ony guid examples o Scots rhyming slang – like ‘brown breid – deid’, ‘corn beef – deif’? Ma ain favourite is ‘bare naikit’ for ‘jaikit’. Ony ithers? An aye, I ken bare naikit disna work in NE speak jist afore onybody tells me”. Here a fyow o the replies.

  • Askit (Askit pooder) – shooder
  • Bengal Lancer – chancer
  • Bert (Bert van Lingen) – mingin
  • Brussels sprouts – douts
  • chorus and verse – erse
  • Duke of Argyles – piles
  • Duke of Montrose – nose
  • Elsie (Elsie Tanner) – wanner
  • Finnieston ferry – herry (i.e. a wee hairy)
  • Frankie Vaughans – hauns
  • Jambos (Jam Tarts) – Hearts
  • Jimmy Reid – heid
  • Jimmy Riddle – piddle (ane o ma dad’s favourites!)
  • Jimmy White – shite
  • Joe (Baxi) – taxi (in Dundee)
  • Lee Van (Cleef) – deif
  • Lemon curd – burd
  • Mick Jagger – lager
  • Pansy Potters – jotters
  • Pine(apple) – chapel
  • Pink lint – skint
  • Ruby Murray – curry
  • Salvador Dali – swallie
  • Sandy Shaws – baws
  • Shammy leather – blether
  • Shoot the craw – gau (Glesca pron o ‘go’)
  • Single fish – pish
  • The Harry Wraggs = The Jags (Patrick Thistle)
  • Wim (Wim Jansen) – dancin

Here a cleek tae a langer airticle:

Lillo, A. 2004. ‘A Wee Keek at Scottish Rhyming Slang’. Scottish Language 23: 93-115.

And the buik pictert abune is Jockney Rhyming Slang (2006) by Robert Laidler an Mark Harvey, Crombie Jardine Publishing Limited

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