I had to laugh last night, watching Danny Dyer on Bravo, interviewing some Dutch football hooligans, using full-on Cockney rhyming slang, expecting them to understand, e.g. "Look at you, you've got a proper mad boat!" The Dutch hooligans just looked at him with puzzled expressions on their faces.
Quote: catskillz @ June 26 2010, 12:52 AM BST"Look at you, you've got a proper mad boat!"
Coat?
It's actually short for Boat race, which is rhyming slang for Face.
You've got to be kidding me.
Quote: deckard @ June 26 2010, 3:02 AM BSTYou've got to be kidding me.
Well I've heard people say rhyming slang originated in Prisons, as a way for Prisoners to communicate secretly, without guards hearing what they were saying. With this in mind, you can understand why some of the slang used is so random. Also, as is the case with "Boat race", it's the second word that rhymes, even though the first word is often the only one that is said. This was probably a way of making it difficult for the prison guards to try and figure out what word they were rhyming the slang word with.
Oh, and the "Boat race" in question was probably the big annual race between Oxford and Cambridge that happens over here.
Never heard of it as specific as being prisoners, but it is supposed to have been created by the criminals and underclasses to communicate without detection.
Anyone got any proof? Giz' a butchers.
"antique edwardian tea chest - guest. That last one was one of mine"