The London Design Museum is one of the leading
establishments for exhibitions covering all aspects of British design.
The museum gift shop requires gifts and souvenirs, which
not only celebrate British design but London culture itself.
Concept / Proposition:
I propose to design a range of traditionally produced
prints that celebrate the phenomenon that is cockney rhyming slang.
Each of the prints will be produced using traditional print
processes in order to give a limited edition l feel that encourage the intended
audience to hang up the prints on there walls.
What is Cockney Rhyming Slang?
Cockney rhyming slang is not a language but a collection of phrases used by Cockney's and other Londoners.
What's a Cockney?
A true Cockney is someone born within the sound of Bow Bells. (St. Mary-le-Bow Church in Cheapside, London)
However the term Cockney is now loosely applied to many born outside this area as long as they have a "Cockney" accent or a Cockney heritage.
The Cockney accent is heard less often in Central London these days but is widely heard in the outer London boroughs, the London suburbs and all across South East England. It is common in Bedfordshire towns like Luton and Leighton Buzzard and Essex towns such as Romford.
What's Rhyming Slang?
Rhyming Slang phrases are derived from taking an expression which rhymes with a word and then using that expression instead of the word. E.g. the word "look" rhymes with "butchers hook". In many cases the rhyming word is omitted - so you won't find too many Londoners having a "butchers hook"at this site, but you might find a few having a "butcher's".
The rhyming word is not always omitted so Cockney expressions can vary in their construction, and it is simply a matter of convention which version is used.
Some Examples of Cockney Rhyming Slang
In this list of examples some of the expressions omit the rhyming word but others do not.
Who uses Cockney Rhyming Slang?
Cockney Rhyming Slang originated in the East End of London. Some slang expressions have escaped from London and are now used throughout the rest of Britain. For example "use your loaf" is an everyday phrase for the British, but not too many people realise it is Cockney Rhyming Slang ("loaf of bread: head").
Television had raised awareness of Cockney Rhyming Slang to far greater heights. Classic TV shows such as "Steptoe and Son", "Minder", "Porridge" and "Only Fools and Horses" have done much to spread the slang throughout Britain and to the rest of the world.
How is Cockney Rhyming Slang Developing?
Modern Cockney slang that is being developed today tends to only rhyme words with the names of celebrities or famous people. There are very few new Cockney slang expressions that do not follow this trend. The only one that has gained much ground recently which follows this trend is "Wind and Kite" meaning "Web site".
Cockney expressions are being exported from London all over the world.
Source: http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk
The full extend of how Cockney Rhyming Slang has spread across not only London but the rest of Britain is evident, as I, somebody who was born in Liverpool and have lived there all my life know my fair share of rhyming slang.
Mickey mouser, Scouser
Hank Marvin, Starving
Alan Whicker (Knicker), Pound
Two and Eight, State
Bubble Bath, Laugh
Butcher's Hook, Look (Have a butcher's)
Having a Giraffe, Laugh
Quote
"Many of us know that "brown bread" is Cockney Rhyming Slang for dead, "china plate" of mate, and "bubble bath" for laugh. But how many know the meaning of the phrases? The historic native wit of this east end community (and its followers from around the world) often has an interesting logic to its phrases. Rather than simply a rhyming association, the slang reflects meaning in the expression themselves."
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jun/09/guide-to-cockney-rhyming-slang
Londoners by Cockney Rhyming Slang, article by The Telegraph
- Modern Londoners are just as baffled by Cockney Rhyming slang as the rest of the country
- The slang is dying out amid London's diverse, multi-cultural society, new research has revealed.
- A study of 2,000 adults, including half from the capital, found the world famous East end lingo which has been mimicked and mocked for decades is on the wane
- The survey, commissioned by the Museum of London, revealed almost 80 per cent of Londoners do not understand phrases such as 'donkey's ears' - slang for years.
Note: could the deliverables I propose to produce for this brief possibly be in conjunction with the findings by the the Museum of London? Therefore it would be appropriate to include both the rhyming slang and it's translation in my prints.
- Significantly, Londoners' own knowledge of the jargon is now almost as little as those who live outside of the capital.
- Yesterday, Alex Warner, head of history collections at the Museum of London, said: "For many people, Cockney rhyming slang is intrinsic to the identity of London.
Note: Possibly someone to contact? If possible.
- "However this research suggests that the Cockney dialect itself may not be enjoying the same level of popularity."
- "The origins of Cockney slang reflects the diverse, immigrant community of London's East End in the 19th Century so perhaps it's no surprise that other forms of slang are taking over as the cultural influences on the city change" - I personally believe this state is not entirely correct, as I have said being someone with no real connection to the east end I still know my fair share of phrases and believe it had a place in modern culture.
- Research by The Museum of London found that just 20 per cent of the 2,000 people questioned knew that 'rabbit and pork' meant talk.
- It also emerged that very few of those polled understood the meaning of tommy tucker (supper), watch the custard and jelly (telly) or spend time with the teapot lids (kids).
- Instead, the report found that most Londoners now have a grasp of just a couple of Cockney phrases such as tea leaf (thief), and apples and pears (stairs).
- The most-used cockney slang was found to be the phrase 'porky pies' with 13 per cent of those questioned still using it. One in 10 used the term 'cream crackered'.
- Forty per cent of the study also said they felt Cockney Rhyming Slang was dying out, and a third admitted they were sad it was fading away.
- "What I've noticed is that there are still quite a lot of people out there inventing new rhyming slang."
- In my files I've seen in the last two or three years slang such as 'he was wearing his Barack Obamas', meaning pyjamas.
- "So while it might be true that Cockney Rhyming slang may be dying out it's worth pointing out that whatever started our impulse to rhyme words is still with us today."
Primary Research
With the increasing popularity of social media and texting our slang - whilst perhaps not always being rhyming - had in turn increased. It's a cultural thing more than anything different places and cities have their own slang which they have been brought up with and use.
Being scouse I know my fair share of phrases that could perhaps baffle someone from say Leeds or Yorkshire. As primary research I began asking people I knew from different places their slang phrases.
Liverpool
Geg: To intrude in someone's conversation, "geg in"
Trabs / Webs: Trainers or shoes
Alarse: To be mean or rude, "You're alarse you" or even shortened "That's aryl"
Mazzie: Massive
Scotland
Wain: Small child
Yorkshire
Bezzed it: To run quickly
A few sauces: A few drinks
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