Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > A Dictionary of Rhyming Slang
A Dictionary of Rhyming Slang by John Ayto
Highly readable and lively, The Oxford Dictionary of Rhyming Slang is the ultimate guide to this perennially captivating subject. This new volume charts the 150-year history of rhyming slang from its origins in 19th century cockney rhyming slang to modern popney rhyming slang. Unlike other dictionaries of its kind, The Oxford Dictionary of Rhyming Slang is organized thematically, with slang words gathered under headings such as "food and drink", "sex", "clothing", and "illness". Illustrating how rich and entertaining a language form it is, author John Ayto provides extensive examples and explores the range and development of rhyming slang throughout its history. From "silver spoon" (moon) to "alligator" (later) and "Jack and Jill" (hill), this reference is an authoritative and up-to-date guide to this colorful corner of language. Dr John Ayto is an experienced lexicographer and author of several language titles. He is particularly brilliant though when he gets into the euphemistic territory of body parts and functions. If you call someone a "berk" or "burk" and think that's quite mild just remember it derives from a rhyme with Berkley or Berkshire hunt. Whores have variously been called "boat and oar", "bolt the door" (graphically reduced to "old bolts"), "Doug McClure", "Roger Moore", "sloop of war" and "two by four". And ask yourself what "raspberry ripple" and "Christmas crackers" might rhyme with. For word lovers The Oxford Dictionary of Rhyming Slang is an enlightening browse with lots of historical titbits.
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > Cockney Rabbit
Cockney Rabbit: A Dick 'N' 'Arry of Rhyming Slang by Ray Puxley
Puxley's book is a splendid dictionary (Dick 'n' 'Arry) listing hundreds of Cockney Rhyming Slang terms, both familiar and obscure, with their meanings. Cockney Rabbit does not shy away from the more crude entries (of which there are plenty) and includes many swear words, with their Cockney equivalents. If you don't already know the relevance of the word "rabbit" in the title, "rabbit and pork" is rhyming slang for "talk" (and is variously used to mean "speech", "conversation", etc.). Who started Cockney rhyming slang and why we'll never know, but whoever it was couldn't possibly have known the verbal monster created would be still growing centuries later. This collection of the old, familiar expressions of the ever popular East End vernacular is arranged in a Cockney to English and English to Cockney dictionary.
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > Fresh Rabbit
Fresh Rabbit: A Dick 'N' Arry of Contemporary Rhyming Slang by Ray Puxley
This is Ray Puxley's second such book. In the best-selling "Cockney Rabbit", Ray Puxley compiled the definitive Dick 'n' 'Arry of cockney rhyming slang. With his inimitable blend of humor and facts, he now serves up "Fresh Rabbit", a kotchel of contemporary rhyming slang straight from the streets. Gathering the funniest and most widely-used phrases of this new generation of expressions, Fresh Rabbit is unlike any dictionary you've ever read. There is no comparable dictionary of modern rhyming slang. Try it and bunny like a native!
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > The Bible in Cockney
The Bible in Cockney: Well Bits of It Anyway by Mike Coles
A rookery nook that puts the Bible into rhyming slang? That's The Bible in Cockney by Mike Coles. I've heard of speaking in tongues, but rabbit and porking in Cockney? It can't be Irish stew... It is. Mike Coles is head of Religious Education at a secondary school in London. When he moved there 15 years ago, he fell in love with rhyming slang and spiced up his lessons by rewriting parts of the Bible, like a missionary of yore, in the native lingo. The saucepans (saucepan lids = kids) apparently loved it. Here, he retells nine stories from the Old Testament, and translates Mark's Gospel verse by verse. He ends with the Lord's Prayer ("the prayer that Jesus taught 'is chinas") which could leave traditionalists writhing in their pews: "You're the Boss, God, and will be for ever, innit?" As the Archbishop of Canterbury suggests in his foreword, Coles takes the Bible "out of the formal church setting and puts it back into the marketplace, into the streets, where it originally took place." And he is right: beyond being fun, this book recaptures the colloquial nature of the exchanges between Jesus and his disciples, and unleashes some of the power of the oral tradition through which many Old Testament passages were originally passed on. Readers will either love it or hate it; it takes lemon and lime even to adjust to the headings (such as "Jesus heals some geezer" and "Jesus ain't dead no more") - but this is much more than a novelty project. Go on, I dare you - take a butcher's hook. "Crikey! This is a bloomin' good bible!" wrote one reader from London; "T'is top of me list! If yer wanna find out wot 'appens when "God is not 'appy" or what geezer slayed Goliath, turn ta this smashin' edition of tha holy text! Mike Coles is a top bloke fer writin' this! I love it! MWAH!"
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > More Bible in Cockney
More Bible in Cockney: Prophets, Proverbs and Pioneers by Mike Coles
The follow up to "The Bible in Cockney" translates more parts of the Bible into cockney rhyming slang and includes a glossary of slang words at the back of the book. Here we take a butcher's (look) at some of the proverbs and psalms as well as the Ding Dong of Ding Dongs (Song of Songs). It features profiles of some of the Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel who got in a right two and eight (state), because of the way the Israelites worshipped dodgy idols, and a complete translation of the Captain Hook (book) of Acts into cockney. Potential readers could be those involved in leading informal church worship, teachers, youth leaders and parents of teenagers.
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > The Dictionary of American Slang
The Dictionary of American Slang by Robert L. Chapman
Dollars to doughnuts, your reference shelf lacks a good slang dictionary, and that's a fine how-de-do. Whether you're a stuffy writer looking to gussy up your prose, a poindexter who thinks studying dictionaries is the cat's pyjamas, or a muttonheaded fogy hoping to get a clue, Robert Chapman's Dictionary of American Slang fills the bill. Containing more than 19,000 terms of American slang, this lexicon represents all periods of American history, from phrases out of the 1880s, such as carrot-top for "redhead," to more recent '90s jargon such as carjacking. It covers the widely acceptable and the taboo, slang from cowboys and railroad workers and slang from rock & rollers, corporate America, and the gay community. It includes obsolete phrases such as canoeing for "making-out," and up-to-date terms relating to technology, such as listserv for "electronic mail list." Each item features pronunciation guides, word origins, and usage examples, and words that are derogatory or impolite are clearly labelled as such. A righteous reference and a lulu of a browser, the Dictionary of American Slang is an elegantly produced and scholarly rigorous linguistic knockout. Originally published in 1960, The Dictionary of American Slang is widely regarded as the standard in its field. This is the third edition, expanded and completely updated.
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > NTC's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
NTC's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears
This compact and well-formatted book features more than 8,500 contemporary slang and informal expressions. With 800 more entries than the previous edition, this third edition includes street slang, popular culture terms, and the telegraphic language peculiar to the Internet. Arranged alphabetically, entries include usage information, slang type or source, and additional information about whether the term is, e.g., objectionable, derogatory, or standard English. The entries for some "difficult or unpredictable" words may include pronunciation information. The alphabetic arrangement is augmented by a phrase-finder index and Go to/See also references. If you don't know the meaning of expressions such as "Baldwin" (a good-looking male), "Vietnik" (someone who opposed the Vietnam War), or "face time" (time spent face to face with someone), this book will explain. Some more obvious terms such as "nervous Nellie" (any nervous person), "naw" (no), "what the heck" (it doesn't matter), and "square" (old-fashioned) are included too. And now available in softback, this volume represents a great value-for-money addition to your bookshelf.
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > The Very Best of British
The Very Best of British by Mike Etherington
A fun look at the differences between British and American English. Written by the British bloke who moved to Tossa Lane, Austin, Texas. This humorous and informative book is a must for anyone who needs to translate from American to English. It is illustrated with amusing cartoons, and includes Cockney Rhyming Slang. For those in the US, whether you are planning a trip to England, studying English at school, have a British pen pal or just want to converse with Brits, this book is the ideal companion. Over 1,000 words, phrases and expressions you thought were the same in US and across the pond in Blighty, are all explained. Learn why, when visiting England, you should never mention your fanny pack, why you might not want to stay at Her Majesty's pleasure and why it would be OK to bum a fag! Discover the joys of black pudding & yorkshire pudding and maybe taste your first faggot! Find out that UK braces are US suspenders and UK suspenders are US garter belts and why the ladies should always wear pants. Never again confuse your arse with your ass or a cake with your buns. Know your jumper from your cardie and your pullover from your jersey, remove your cagoule when you come for a butchers but definitely don't go the full monty! In fact it can get so cold you'll want to wear your muffler!
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > Slang American Style
Slang American Style: More Than 10,000 Ways to Talk the Talk (The Artful Wordsmith) by Richard A. Spears
With more than 10,000 entries, this dictionary offers a guide to the slang expressions heard in the United States in the movies, on television, in the streets, on college campuses, in the computer world, the underworld, and on Wall Street. It's fun to read and packed with information, including a complete definition for each expression, example sentences that demonstrate usage for each word or phrase in context, and a time-saving cross-referencing index to the major words in each expression. A handy reference to have on any bookshelf.
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > Wicked Cockney Rhyming Slang
Wicked Cockney Rhyming Slang by Betty Kirkpatrick
Would you "Adam and Eve it"! Supposedly starting out as a private language to fool coppers (bottle and stoppers) and their narks (Noah's arks), Cockney rhyming slang has always had vitality. This text offers hundreds of definitions. Publishers Michael O'Mara Books specialise in fun and silly books, and this is one of their better ones. Here's what they have to say: "Pages and pages of hundreds and hundreds of definitions, so take our ‘lump of ice’, empty out your ‘Davy Crocketts’ and cough up some ‘pie and mash’."
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > Divided by a Common Language
Divided by a Common Language by Christopher Davies and Jason Murphy
Divided by a Common Language is a comprehensive reference book about the differences between British English and American English, valuable both as a serious reference book, and a humorous read. It covers pronunciation and spelling differences along with a comprehensive dictionary of the words which have a different meaning or are unknown in the other country. The comparison of idioms and expressions will have everyone in stitches! A must for the traveler (from either side of the Atlantic). It includes a UK-US lexicon: Dustbin day = Garbage day; Earth wire = Ground wire; Eiderdown = Comforter; Elastoplast = Band Aid; Elevenses = Morning tea break; Emulsion paint = Latex paint; Envisage = Envision; Estate agent = Realtor; Estate car = Station wagon; etc. And a US-UK lexicon: Cornstarch = Corn flour; Costume party = Fancy dress party; Cot = Camp bed; Cotton = Cotton wool; Cotton candy = Candyfloss; Counterclockwise = Anticlockwise; Crazy quilt = Patchwork quilt; Cream of wheat = Semolina; etc. Author Christopher Davies was born in England and has lived in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. He moved to Florida in 1980 where he currently resides.
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > Slang and Euphemism
Slang and Euphemism: A Dictionary of Oaths, Curses, Insults, Sexual Slang and Metaphor, Racial Slurs, Drug Talk, Homosexual Lingo, and Related Matters by Richard A. Spears
A lexicon of "improper" English. From slang terminology describing various bodily functions and sexual acts to the centuries-old cant of thieves and prostitutes to the language of the modern drug culture, here are 10,000 entries and 32,000 definitions of all the words and expressions so carefully omitted from the standard dictionaries and polite conversation. Extensively cross-referenced for easy access, this third revised and abridged edition contains almost 1,500 new entries and definitions. It also includes geographic location where a particular word of phrase is most likely to be heard, the time period of greatest usage, the source and derivation, and the category to which the word or phrase belongs - slang, euphemism, cant, colloquialism, etc. So whether you're a writer seeking to create a more authentic dialogue, a crossword-puzzle addict in search of an obscure eighteenth-century expression, or a reader interested in the more colorful aspects of language, you'll find that a wealth of words awaits you in Slang and Euphemism, Third Revised Edition. Here are the most up-to-date curses, insults, ethnic slurs, sexual slang, metaphors, drug talk, street slang, college lingo, cant, colloquialisms, and other outlandish words. You'll find it all in this comprehensive, unabashed, and definitive reference for anyone who "wants a good knowledge of contemporary cussing."
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > Slanguage
Slanguage: A Cool, Fresh, Phat, and Shagadelic Guide to All Kinds of Slang by Mike Ellis
A worldwide guide to slang, from America's favorite slangologist, and creator of one of the Internet's most popular websites - voted by Wired as one of the top five fun sites of 1998. Ask for a "pop" in Manhattan and you'll probably be punched in the face. The same request for a soda in Chicago, however, will get you Coke. And if you're going to the gym in New York, take your sneakers, but in Pittsburgh, grab your tennis shoes. Every day new words are born that reflect who we are and where we live. Now, slang expert Mike Ellis has compiled an authoritative yet highly amusing treasury of slang that has infiltrated every walk of life. Already widely known for his articles in the national press (The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wired magazine) as well as for his hugely popular website, Ellis has a gift for zooming in on the often humorous, ironic, and colorful way that we put our spin on the native tongue. As funny as it is linguistically precise, Slanguage is an up-to-the-minute guide to the changing face of language.
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Fun-with-words.com > Rhyming Slang Books > Rhyming Cockney Slang
Rhyming Cockney Slang by Jack Jones
A pocket glossary for easy reference explaining cockney idioms. It's a fun Cockney-English dictionary published by Abson Books in London. A great reference and a fun read, which will demystify the tendency among some Londoners to use Cockney Rhyming Slang: ‘Captain Cook’ (book), ‘The old iron tank’ (bank) and ‘pig’s ear’ (beer) – they’re all in here! Not a comprehensive dictionary, but it certainly covers all the main cockney terms.
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Books On This Page

• A Dictionary of Rhyming Slang
• Cockney Rabbit: A Dick 'N' 'Arry of Rhyming Slang
• Fresh Rabbit: A Dick 'N' Arry of Contemporary Rhyming Slang
• The Bible in Cockney: Well Bits of It Anyway
• More Bible in Cockney: Prophets, Proverbs and Pioneers
• The Dictionary of American Slang
• NTC's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressi...
• The Very Best of British
• Slang American Style: More Than 10,000 Ways to Talk the Ta...
• Wicked Cockney Rhyming Slang
• Divided by a Common Language
• Slang and Euphemism: A Dictionary of Oaths, Curses, Insult...
• Slanguage: A Cool, Fresh, Phat, and Shagadelic Guide to Al...
• Rhyming Cockney Slang

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