Cockney Rhyme

Cockney Rhyme

Here are some expressions my family has used over the years and some others that are often heard. Go to the bottom to find out what these Cockney Rhymes actually mean.

Cockney Rhyme (which comes from the East End of London) uses slang expressions that rhyme with the real words. You have to put on the right accent too!

When my brother and I were young, my mother always used to say, "Up the apples and pears" when it was time for us to go to bed.

Another Cockney Rhyme I heard many times was, "Would you Christmas Eve it?"

Unfortunately, this was said to me a few times when I wasn't telling the truth: "Stop telling porkies" which is actually short for "pork pies".

Let's have a butcher's (hook); this is said when you want to see something.

A boat race refers to a body part.

Dog and bone for you. You might hear this when something is ringing.

Did you guess any of them correctly? I might not Christmas Eve it. Are you telling porkies?

Up the apples and pears. = Up the stairs.

Would you Christmas Eve it? = Would you believe it?

porkies / pork pies = lies

dog and bone = phone

a butcher's hook = a look

boat race = face