Origin unknown, although I received an interesting suggestion (thanks Giles Simmons, March 2007) of a possible connection with Jack Horner's plum in the nursery rhyme. We use K (from kilo) when we write with digits but we also say it when speaking, so that phonetically it would sound like kay. Monkey: British slang for 500 pounds sterling; originates from soldiers returning from India, where the 500 rupee note had a picture of a monkey on it. What it actually means: As its name suggests, this monkey is covering its eyes to see no evil, as as in the see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil proverb. wad = money. Alcohol and words relating to pubs and being drunk feature prominently in British slang. It's not cheap to own a . From cockney rhyming slang clodhopper (= copper). Under the cosh - in a difficult situation. The first things you gotta learn are that five pounds is a fiver, and ten pounds is a tenner. Porkies - lies, from the Cockney rhyming slang "pork pies" = lies. Tea: means gossip, a common phrase used in the US is: "Spill the tea". bollocksed. Very occasionally older people, students of English or History, etc., refer to loose change of a small amount of coin money as groats. A working knowledge of a few important slang words, phrases used in local dialects and colloquialisms will help your understanding of what's really going on in any conversation in the British Isles. A clod is a lump of earth. The tickey slang was in use in 1950s UK (in Birmingham for example, thanks M Bramich), although the slang is more popular in South Africa, from which the British usage seems derived. To monkey around means to behave in a silly or careless way. Moola - Also spelled moolah, the origin of this word is unknown. Tarmac - material used for surfacing roads or other outdoor areas, named after its Scottish inventor John Louden McAdam. If a British person tells you theyre off to spend a penny and then they promptly disappear, its because theyre actually going to the toilet. There are other spelling variations based on the same theme, all derived from the German and Yiddish (European/Hebrew mixture) funf, meaning five, more precisely spelled fnf. 5. A pony equals 25. EXPLANATION: While this London-centric slang is entirely British, it actually stems from 19th Century India. ". 05. An obscure point of nostalgic trivia about the tanner is apparently (thanks J Veitch) a rhyme, from around the mid-1900s, sung to the tune of Rule Britannia: "Rule Brittania, two tanners make a bob, three make eighteen pence and four two bob" My limited research suggests this rhyme was not from London. Let us walk you through some of the most popular Spanish slang words and phrases throughout Latin America and Europe. ", "Why do you want to make a monkey out of me? (source Cassells). From the fact that a ton is a measurement of 100 cubic feet of capacity (for storage, loading, etc). Wacky - funny or amusing in a slightly odd or peculiar way. Wangle - to get something through deception or deviousness. lady/Lady Godiva = fiver (five pounds, 5) cockney rhyming slang, and like many others in this listing is popular in London and the South East of England, especially East London. The official Urban Dictionary API is used to show the hover-definitions. Initially London slang, especially for a fifty pound note. Along with the silver crown, half-crown and sixpence, the silver threepence made its first appearance in 1551 during the reign of Edward VI (1547-53). There has been speculation among etymologists that 'simon' meaning sixpence derives from an old play on words which represented biblical text that St Peter "lodged with Simon a tanner.." as a description of a banking transaction, although Partridge's esteemed dictionary refutes this, at the same time conceding that the slang 'tanner' for sixpence might have developed or been reinforced by the old joke. nicker = a pound (1). Used to describe a stupid, nasty or useless person. dollar = slang for money, commonly used in singular form, eg., 'Got any dollar?..'. Dunce - an unintelligent person, so called after the much-ridiculed 13th century Scottish theologian John Duns Scotus. 'Cheeky monkey' is an expression we use when someone is being mischievous and playful. brown = a half-penny or ha'penny. Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London . If youre in London you may overhear many other terms for money and many of these will come from cockney rhyming slang. Mug - stupid, gullible or ignorant person. Example: Are you coming to my birthday bash next Saturday? Further information on many of the listed terms is available via accompanying links. "Coppers.". When the pound coin appeared it was immediately christened a 'Maggie', based seemingly on the notion that it was 'a brassy piece that thinks it's a sovereign" (ack J Jamieson, Sep 2007) If you have more detail about where and when this slang arose and is used, please let me know. Dont believe us?Watch this! A pound in the Smoke is a Nicker A hundred of them make a ton And what rhymes with Nicker but . denoting a small light structure or piece of equipment contrived to suit an immediate purpose. First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we More fun British slang phrases. Origin is not known for sure. The term was coined by British soldiers returning from India where the 500 rupee note of that era had a picture of a monkey on it. big ben - ten pounds (10) the sum, and a ten pound note - cockney rhyming slang. The ten pound meaning of cock and hen is 20th century rhyming slang. Cream-crackered - = knackered, thus extremely tired, exhausted. Brummie - native of Birmingham (colloquial). Hello MaryParker, Thank you for your comments. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? 'Half a job' was half a guinea. Below is the UK transcription for 'monkey': Modern IPA: mkj. Cassells implies an interesting possible combination of the meanings kibosh (18 month sentence), kibosh (meaning ruin or destroy) - both probably derived from Yiddish (Jewish European/Hebrew dialect) words meaning suppress - with the linking of money and hitting something, as in 'a fourpenny one' (from rhyming slang fourpenny bit = hit). Improve your writing by downloading our English Editing Tips. 4. ", "The children will get up to monkey business if we do not keep our eye on them.". Off the cuff - without preparation, spontaneous. Get an instant price to have your English document edited by professionals. The most widely recognised Cockney rhyming slang terms for money include 'pony' which is 25, a 'ton' is 100 and a 'monkey', which equals 500. Iechyd da! Silver threepences were last issued for circulation in the United Kingdom in 1941 but the final pieces to be sent overseas for colonial use were dated 1944. Seemingly no longer used. Have you ever overheard some rather strange terms for money? When pocket watches first became fashionable, they were held against the body by use of a small chain. Covidiot - someone who ignores health advice about COVID-19 similar to Morona. 6. Cheeky monkey is an expression we use when someone is being mischievous and playful. Similarly words connected with sex and stupidity frequently have slang equivalents. nevis/neves = seven pounds (7), 20th century backslang, and earlier, 1800s (usually as 'nevis gens') seven shillings (7/-). The original derivation was either from Proto-Germanic 'skell' meaning to sound or ring, or Indo-European 'skell' split or divide. Machair - fertile low-lying grassy plain in the Outer Hebrides. From the 1800s, by association with the small fish. Your response is private Was this worth your time? Rank - bad, horrible or smells unpleasant. For ex: I spent over a hundred quid last weekend without even realising it! a luv yee pet - I love you (talking to your partner not your dog) Cheers pet - thanks. Like the 'pony' meaning 25, it is suggested by some that the association derives from Indian rupee banknotes featuring the animal. ton = commonly one hundred pounds (100). Top 100 Cockney Rhyming Slang Words and Phrases: Adam and Eve - believe Alan Whickers - knickers apples and pears - stairs Artful Dodger - lodger Ascot Races - braces Aunt Joanna - piano Baked Bean - Queen Baker's Dozen - Cousin Ball and Chalk - Walk Barnaby Rudge - Judge Barnet Fair - hair Barney Rubble - trouble Battlecruiser - boozer Might could. (Thanks M Ty-Wharton). Boozer - pub, or a person who drinks a lot. 6. dibs/dibbs = money. Copyright 2023. flag = five pound note (5), UK, notably in Manchester (ack Michael Hicks); also a USA one dollar bill; also used as a slang term for a money note in Australia although Cassells is vague about the value (if you know please contact us). Wor lad - my boyfriend. I can hear you asking me- Louisa why are we now talking about a baby horse? Equivalent to 12p in decimal money. Lets get serious about the project. The most widely recognised Cockney rhyming slang terms for money include 'pony' which is 25, a 'ton' is 100 and a 'monkey', which equals 500. It works." It works." Examples include . Simply derived from the expression 'ready cash'. Jiffy - a very short time, a moment as in "Back in a jiffy.". This symbol represents a small monkey showed in a kind-of naturalistic way. If a British friend asks to borrow a fiver from you, he means a five pound note. In fact the term was obsolete before 1971 decimalisation when the old ha'penny (d) was removed from the currency in 1969. tickey/ticky/tickie/tiki/tikki/tikkie = ticky or tickey was an old pre-decimal British silver threepenny piece (3d, equating loosely to 1p). Pub - public house, drinking establishment. But what about slang words that are used around the world? Also used regularly is a score which is 20, a bullseye is 50, a grand is 1,000 and a deep sea diver which is 5 (a fiver). Shop - report someone to the police or higher authorities. "No more monkeying around! In the pre-decimal era half a dollar was half a crown, a bob was a shilling, a tanner a sixpence and a joey a threepenny bit. In his stand-up show, British comedian Michael MacIntyre said: "You can actually use any word in the English language and substitute it to mean drunk. This has confusing and convoluted origins, from as early as the late 1800s: It seems originally to have been a slang term for a three month prison sentence, based on the following: that 'carpet bag' was cockney rhyming slang for a 'drag', which was generally used to describe a three month sentence; also that in the prison workshops it supposedly took ninety days to produce a certain regulation-size piece of carpet; and there is also a belief that prisoners used to be awarded the luxury of a piece of carpet for their cell after three year's incarceration. Offie - off license (liquor store to Americans). What does ? Britain-Visitor.com also offers information on British culture including British cuisine, history and the arts. bob = shilling (1/-), although in recent times now means a pound or a dollar in certain regions. shekels/sheckles = money. You can use it to refer to a person or an object. Separately bottle means money generally and particularly loose coinage, from the custom of passing a bottle for people to give money to a busker or street entertainer. In this sort of dipping or dibbing, a dipping rhyme would be spoken, coinciding with the pointing or touchung of players in turn, eliminating the child on the final word, for example: dinarly/dinarla/dinaly = a shilling (1/-), from the mid-1800s, also transferred later to the decimal equivalent 5p piece, from the same roots that produced the 'deaner' shilling slang and variations, i.e., Roman denarius and then through other European dinar coins and variations. squid = a pound (1). 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