British (and Australian) slang, vol. 8

Still tuff after

fifteen years!!!

Included here are Australian rhyming slang expressions that have origins in England. Most, however have distinctively Australian origins indicative of the environment (remember that the earliest white settlers Down Under were ex-convicts from England)

(AUST) Australian Rhyming Slang 

The ff. also includes usage from recent UK films

(S) SNATCH
(SD) SLIDING DOORS
(LS&2SB) LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS 

O

OILY RAG – Cigarette. See MELVYNN BRAGG, HARRY WRAGG
OLD BAG – hag or horrible woman
OLIVER TWIST – pissed (AUST). Can also refer to one’s fist
ON THE FLOOR – poor
ON THE TAKE – to accept bribes or take unknown money from a transaction. (LS&2SB)
ONE & T’OTHER – Brother. See MANHOLE COVER
ONKA (from Onkaparinga) – finger (AUST)
OPTIC NERVE (from perv) – a pervert; see NONCE. (From optic) can also mean to have a look; see BUTCHERS (AUST)
ORANGE PEEL – feel
ORCHESTRA (from orchestra stalls) – Balls. See JACOB’S, COBBLERS
ORSON (from horse ‘n’ cart) – Fart. See D’OYLY CARTE
OSCAR ASCHE (British actor/producer) – Cash. See ARTHUR ASHE, BANGERS & MASH, CROSBY STILLS & NASH, HARRY NASH
OXFORD SCHOLAR – dollar (AUST)
OXO (from Oxo cube) – tube (the London Underground)

P 

PANTS & VEST – chest. See BIRD’S NEST, GEORGE BEST
PAT MALONE – alone, on one’s own (AUST)
PEN (from pen and ink) – stink
PERSIAN RUGS – drugs
PICCADILY – chilly (AUST)
PIG(’S EAR) – Beer
PIKEY – a gipsy or vagrant. This term comes from the ‘Kentish’ dialect word ‘pike’ meaning ‘toll-gate’. Later in the 19th century ‘a pike’ was ‘a road’. (S)
PIG’S EAR/POT OF GOOD CHEER – beer (AUST)
PINEAPPLE CHUNK – Bunk (bed)
PING PONG – Rhyming Slang for ’strong’. (LS&2SB)
PIPE (from pipe and drum) – bum
PIPE YOUR EYE – cry
PITCH AND TOSS – Boss. See JOE (GOSS)
PLATE (from plate of ham) – to gam (derived from the French “Gamahucher”) or perform oral sex
PLATES OF MEAT – feet
PONY (from pony and trap) – crap
POPPY (from poppy red – BREAD) – money. See BREAD.
PORKY/PORK PIES – lies (S)
POSH ‘N’ BECKS – Decks (turntables). Can also refer to sex
POT OF GLUE – Clue. See DANNY LARUE

R 

RABBIT (from rabbit and pork) – talk
RAILWAY/BUS TIMETABLE – fable or tall tale. See PORK PIES
RALEIGH BIKE – Lesbian. See MAGNUS PIKE
RASPBERRY (from raspberry tart) – fart (can also mean ‘blowing a raspberry’, doing a Bronx cheer with the tongue). See ORSON, D’OYLY CARTE. Can also refer to someone who is disabled (cripple – RASPBERRY RIPPLE)
RAZZMATAZZ – Lit. jazz, general excitement (as in “…all that jazz”)
READ ‘N’ WRITE – fight
RED HOT – pot (of beer) (AUST)
RED HOTS (from trots) – Horse-racing. Diarrhoea (AUST)
REGINALDS (from Reg Grundies) – undies, underwear (AUST)
RHODES SCHOLAR – dollar. See OXFORD SCHOLAR (AUST)
RICHARD BURTONS – Curtains
RICHARD THE THIRD – turd.  Can also mean bird (the winged animal)
RIFF RAFF – Cafe (pronounced “caff”)
RIFLE RANGE – change (AUST)
RINKY (from rink-a-dink-CHINK) – pejorative for Chinese
ROBERT’S YOUR FATHER’S BROTHER – humorous alternative to the phrase ‘Bob’s yer uncle’ (see main site for description of phrase). (LS&2SB)
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL – dole. See NAT KING COLE, EAR’OLE
ROGER – short for the Modern Rhyming Slang term ‘Roger Melly’ (the popular Viz cartoon character). (LS&2SB) 
ROLF (from Rolf Harris of “Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport” fame) – Arse. See KHYBER, ARIS, APRIL
ROSIE (from Rosie Lee) – tea (’cup of rosie’)
ROYAL ALBERT (from Royal Albert Hall) – Balls, testicles. See NIAGARAS, ORCHESTRA, JACOB’S, COBBLERS
RUBBER (DUB) (from rub-a-dub-dub) – Pub/club
RUBY (from Ruby Murray, UK recording artist) – curry

Next up: S-T

CONCORDANCE:  http://www.businessballs.com/cockney.htm