History
Top 7 Cockney Rhyming Slang Expressions Everyone Should Know
Fancy a butcher’s? Better get your dog and bone and call your trouble and strife. Cockney rhyming slang is one of London’s most distinctive contributions to British English, turning everyday words into a playful code built on rhyme, rhythm and local identity. From apples and pears to a plate of meat, these expressions have travelled far beyond their East End roots — even if some are more familiar than others. How many do you know, and which deserve the top spot?
“Up the apples” sounds like a sentence that has gone badly wrong, unless you know the code. Apples and pears rhymes with stairs, turning an ordinary part of the house into a little piece of East End wordplay. It is one of the best-known examples of rhyming slang and a perfect introduction to the tradition.
“Let’s have a butcher’s” means “let’s have a look”. The rhyme is simple, the expression is wonderfully odd out of context, and it still has a recognisable place in British speech. Few phrases demonstrate the appeal of Cockney slang better: a familiar action disguised by an unexpectedly specific image.
Before smartphones made calling someone almost effortless, “dog and bone” was a classic way to refer to the telephone. The phrase has the cheerful absurdity that makes rhyming slang memorable: a dog and a bone somehow become a piece of communications technology. It is a particularly satisfying rhyme to say aloud.
Ruby Murray was a popular Irish singer whose name became Cockney rhyming slang for curry. It is a brilliant example of how the tradition absorbs popular culture, turning a real person into an everyday expression. The phrase has outlived many of the references that inspired slang, making it a delicious little piece of linguistic history.
“The trouble and strife” is one of the most famous rhyming slang expressions, and one that can arrive with a teasing, old-fashioned wink. It is rooted in the comic side of the tradition, where ordinary relationships become material for wordplay. Whether affectionate or exasperated, it is instantly recognisable British slang.
“Move your plates” is a much more colourful way of telling someone to get moving. Plates of meat rhymes with feet, turning a body part into an unlikely kitchen reference. It captures the spirit of rhyming slang perfectly: take something completely ordinary, attach an unexpected image, and let the rhyme do the work.
“You’re telling porkies” is a familiar British way of accusing someone of telling lies. It comes from “pork pies”, which rhymes with lies, with the second word dropped in everyday use. It is short, memorable and still useful — especially when someone’s story sounds a little too good to be true.
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