Nova Mob vs. the Lords of Chaos

British (and Australian) slang, vol. 9

January 6, 2008 · No Comments

NME staffers (the BEST music mag in the world - EVER!!!)  pick their Top 5 singles and albums of 2007!!! 
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

S 

SACKED - to ‘get the sack’ is to get laid off from work (SD)
SAINT LOUIS BLUES - shoes (AUST)
SANDY MCNAB - cab (AUST)
SAUSAGE AND MASH - cash. See BANGERS & MASH, CROSBY STILLS & NASH, HARRY NASH. Can also refer to crash (accident)
SAUSAGE ROLL - dole. See ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, NAT KING COLE
SCARPER (from Scapa Flow) - to go or run away (also derived from Italian slang where the word ’scarpare’ means to escape)
SCOOBY-DOO - Clue. See DANNY LARUE, POT OF GLUE
SCOTT GIBBS (rugby star) - Lies (from Scott Gibbs - fibs)
SEPPO/SEPTIC TANK - Yank, American (AUST)
SEXTON BLAKE (fictional detective character) - Cake. Can also mean fake
SHAGGING - very common mildly rude term for sexual intercourse. (SD)
SHERBET DAB - (Taxi)cab.
SHERMAN TANK - wank. See JODRELL BANK. As with J ARTHUR, can also mean BANK
SHITE - northern dialect version of ’shit’ (S)
SKIN AND BLISTER - sister
SKY ROCKET - pocket. (LS&2SB)
SLAP DASH - Cash. SEE SAUSAGE & MASH, OSCAR ASCHE
SMASH & GRAB - (Taxi)cab. See SHERBET DAB, FLOUNDER & DAB
SNAKE’S HISS - piss (AUST)
SOLDIERS BOLD - cold (AUST)
SON - a very common term of address for any male. (S)
SORRY AND SAD - bad
SOSAY (from “…so say all of us”) - Bus
SPANISH ONION - Bunion
SPURIOUS - not real. See MICKEY MOUSE (S)
STAMMER & STUTTER - Butter
STAND AT EASE - Cheese (the dairy product)
STANDING ELECTION - erection or “woody” 
STEAK AND KIDNEY - The city of Sydney (AUST)
STEAMER (from STEAM TUG) - bugs, vermin
STEFFI (GRAF) - (to take a) bath
STICKY BEAK - peek (AUST)
STIFF SHITTY - city (AUST)
STOCK AND DIE - pie (AUST)
STOKE (ON TRENT) - “bent”; See BEHIND WITH THE RENT, DUKE (OF KENT)
STRUGGLE (from struggle and grunt) - CUNT. See ETHAN, GRUMBLE
SUE RYDER - Cider. See EASY RIDER
SWEENEY TODD - Flying Squad (”The Sweeney” was a big TV police series in the UK during the 1970’s)
SYRUP (from fig syrup) - wig

T

TAKING THE PISS - extremely common term for ‘making fun of’. (S)
TALK & MUTTER - Butter. See STAMMER & STUTTER
TATERS (from potatoes in the mould) - cold
TAXI DRIVER - a “fiver” or five-pound note. See LADY GODIVA
TEA LEAF - thief
TEN-SPEED GEARS - ears
THIS AND THAT - hat (AUST)
THORA HIRD - third class university degree. See DOUGLAS HURD
THREE-CARD TRICK - penis (from three card trick - prick). See HAMPTON WICK
THREE-WHEEL TRIKE - Lesbian. See MAGNUS PIKE, RALEIGH BIKE
THREE STOPS DOWN FROM PLAISTOW - Barking (mad) (from the London Underground District Line)
TIDDLY - short for tiddlywink, Rhyming Slang for ‘drink’. (LS&2SB) Can also mean - pejoratively - a Chinese national (from tiddly-wink - chink). See RINK-A-DINK
TIN TANK - Yank (AUST)
TITFER (from Tit for tat) - hat
TO AND FROM - pom (AUST)
TOBY JUGS (from lugs) - ears
TOD(D) (SLOAN) - Alone. See JACK, PAT
TOE RAG - slag (originally a girl of easy virtue, but now evolved to mean an unpleasant person). Can also refer to cigarettes or homosexuals (from toe rag - fag)
TOM (from Tom Tit) - (the) shit(s). Versatile term can also refer to jewellery (from tomfoolery), booze (from Tom Cruise), the dictionary (from Tom, Dick & Harry) or one’s bones (from Sir Tom Jones). ‘Tom’ can now refer to any stolen goods
TOM AND DICK - sick. See UNCLE DICK
TOMMY (TANK) - Bank. See SHERMAN (TANK), ARMITAGE (SHANK)
TON - a hundred pounds (currency). (LS&2SB)
TOSSED UP - to come up with money. (LS&2SB)
TOSSER - to toss is to masturbate, so a tosser is someone who masturbates. Used as a fairly mild form of abuse. Often preceded by ‘complete’. (SD)
TRAMS AND TRAINS - brains/drains (AUST)
TROLLEY (from trolley and truck) - the act of fornication (according to Cassell’s this also gave rise round 1910 to the naval slang expression of ‘trolley-ogling’ referring to voyeurism - see also ‘off your trolley’)
TROMBONE - phone. See DOG AND BONE
TROUBLE (from trouble and strife) - wife
TURKISH BATH - laugh. See BOBBLE
TWAT - the vagina. Used as a term of abuse. (SD)
TWO AND EIGHT - state (’in a right old two and eight’)

Next up: U-W

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

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