Rhyming Slang
Before moving to Spain I lived in north London where the use of rhyming slang is commonly used.I have often wondered if there is a similar thing,here in Spain!Any-thing that makes a language more fun and interesting has got to be a good thing and if there is no rhyming slang here lets make our own up.You go first and be warned,its not easy to make your own up.!
Added by Ian - Hope you don't mind Ray
Just to illustrate what Ray is after.
skin and blister = sister
apples and pears = stairs
frog and toad = road
Ruby Murray = curry (Ruby Murray was a singer)
12 Answers
I had some friends from Mexico who would say "feliz como un lombriz". Happy as a worm.
I made up two of my own...
- perro y gato = plato
- dolar y peso = queso
And hey, before you laugh - it's really hard to "rhyme" out of your native tongue!
I remember climbing the apples and pears
(stairs)
Oh now I keep remembering more...
(On one's) Pat Malone = (to be) alone. mystery bags = snags (sausages). After darks = sharks..
Mmm.. best stop...I could be here all day..
Hi Valerie
Dog and bone - Phone
Bottle and glass - A**e
Boat race - Face
Butchers hook - Look
Whistle and flute - Suit
Just to illustrate what Ray is after.
skin and blister = sister
apples and pears = stairs
frog and toad = road
Ruby Murray = curry (Ruby Murray was a singer)
The two first words are related in some way and the last of the two rhymes with what you really mean. Most often the second word (but sometimes the first one) is dropped so:
blister = sister (skin)
pears = stairs (apples)
toad = road (frog)
Murray = curry - we say "I am going for a "Ruby" for this one.
I have never heard anything like it in Spanish.
Are there any?
yes there are rhyming slang in Spanish as well. Now there are proper of it region and make no sense outside of its own territory. Examples;
Achicá el panico, (to reduce the panic) (dont get worry or dont dramatize about something)
Comerse un bajón ( to eat a depresion) meaning to feel sad about something or to find something unexpected and not desired.
Me comi un bajo cuando me entere que tenia que trabajar los domingos.
I felt sad when I was informed that I need to work on Sundays...
For those that are interested here are some more
Rosy Lea - tea as in "I love a cup of rosy lea"
have a butchers take a look from butcher's hook = look as in "take a butchers at that"
north and south mouth as in "He’s all north and south" (all mouth)
plates feet from plates of meat = feet as in "you've got big plates"
boat race face as in "nice legs, shame about the boat race"
skin and blister sister Do you know my blister?
trouble wife from trouble and strife = wife as in "going home to the trouble"
dustbin lids kids / children My lids cost me a lot of money
whistle suit from whistle and flute = suit as in "do you like the whistle?"
Adam and Eve believe as in "would you Adam and Eve it?"
Rosie Lea tea as in "I'd love a cup of rosie"
Mutt and Jeff deaf as i "He can’t hear you, he’s mutt"
oily rag fag = cigarette as in "I'm going for an oily"
jam jar car as in "I’ve got a new jam jar"
mince pies eyes as in "feast your mincers on this"
pen and ink stink as in "cor! what a pen and ink"
porky lie from pork pies = lies as in "he's telling porkies"
Barnet hair from Barnet Fair = hair as in "he's losing his Barnet"
Brahms pissed (i.e. "drunk") from Brahms and Liszt = pissed as in "he's Brahms"
Gregories glasses / spectacles from Gregory Pecks = specs as in "do you like my new Gregories?"
Titfer hat from tit for tat = hat as "better wear your titfer"
apples and pears stairs as in "I’m going up the pears"
Jimmy urinate from Jimmy Riddle = piddle as in "I'm going for a jimmy"
borassic broke / skint from borassic lint = skint as in "can't go out, I'm borassic"
two and eight state as in "he's in a bit of a two and eight"
Bertie Woofter gay man from Bertie Woofter = poofter as in "he's a bit of a Bertie"
China mate / friend from China plate = mate as in "how are you, my old China"
Khyber buttocks from Khyber Pass = arse as in "I'll kick you up the Khyber"
rabbit and pork talk as in "Don't rabbit so much"
tea leaf thief as in "He’s a tea leaf"
potato mould cold as in "it's a bit taters in here" taters = potatoes
dog and bone phone as in "you're wanted on the dog and bone"
loaf head from loaf of bread = head as in "Use your loaf"
brown bread dead as in "He’s brown bread"
battle cruiser boozer boozer = pub = public house (a place to drink)
elbows and knees trees
gold watch Scotch Scotch = whiskey
pride and Joy boy as in "Take the pride and joy to the match"
current bun Sun as in "I'm going out to get a bit of current bun"
dicky shirt from dicky dirt = shirt as in "do you like my dicky"
pots and pans hands as in "Take your pans / pots off me"
Peckham Rye tie named after a place in London as in "Do you like my new Peckham?"
Hampstead Heath teeth named after a place in London
jugs ears from jugs of beer = ears as in "Look at the size of his jugs"
Errol Flynn chin His Errol is enormous
almonds socks from almond rocks = socks
ones and twos rhythm and blues shoes
daisies boots from daisy roots = boots
There are many more.
Don't know any in Spanish but in Australia rhyming slang is very common (we probably inherited it from the Poms) - some of my favourites...
tin lids = kids. Captain Cook = look (ie to have a Captain Cook). porkie pie = lie Joe Blake = snake Ginger Meggs = legs. Dogs eye = meat pie.
Here´s the classic
Trouble and strife - WIFE
Frankly, I'd love to hear more of the English rhyming slang! We have nothing like it (that I'm aware of) here in the Southern US. Fascinating stuff!
I've only got one skin and blister.
