How Languages Develop - Australia and Rhyming Slang
The Rhyming Slang of Australia
Rhyming slang is a lot of fun in Australia, especially when Americans don't understand it. I remember a TV show in which Olivia Newton John told an American man that she wanted him to come home with her to see her China Plate. Well, the American was very surprised to find out that she had a husband at home when he got there! You see, China Plate = mate. Ha ha, what fun!
Here are some other for instances that I have learned over the years from many friends and students in the English and ESL classes I used to teach and from friends in the UK , a teacher in Australia, and the scie-fi book by Heinlein The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (I hope they're not all too outdated):
after darks - sharks
Al Capone - phone
apples and pears - stairs
aristotle - bottle
babbling brook - cook
bag of fruit - suit
blood and blister - sister
Captain Cook - look
country cousin - dozen
Dad 'n' Dave - shave
dickory dock - clock
dog's eye - pie
dry rots - trots (the runs)
ducks and geese - police
frog and toad - road
Germaine Greer - ear
Ginger Meggs - legs
Gregory Peck - neck
ham and eggs - legs
hammer and tack - back
hey diddle diddle - piddle
horse and cart - fart
jam tart - heart
Jimmy Dancer - cancer
Joe Blake - snake
John Hopper - copper
King Richard the Third - turd
Lionel Rose - nose
loop the loop - soup
mallee root - prostitute
mystery bags - snags (sausages)
Ned Kelly - belly
north and south - mouth
now is the hour - shower
on one's Pat Malone - alone
optic nerve - perve
Oxford scholar - dollar
piccadilly - chilly
plates of meat - feet
Sandy McNab - cab
septic tank - yank
steak and kidney - Sydney
tea leaf - thief
trams and trains - brains
trouble and strife - wife
Wally Grout - shout
And one of my favorites:
True Blue: an authentic Australian, patriotic and honest and a real friend.
True Blue
by John Williamson, sung at Steve Irwin's memorial service.
[from LyricsDownload.com -- 625,000 Unique Lyrics]
Hey True Blue, don't say you've gone
Say you've knocked off for a smoko
And you'll be back la-ater on
Hey True Blue, Hey True Blue
.
Give it to me straight, face to face
Are you really disappearing
Just another dy-ying race
Hey True Blue
.
True Blue, is it me and you
Is it Mum and Dad, is it a co-ockatoo
Is it standin' by your mate when he's in a fight
Or just Vegemi-ite
True-ue-ue Blue, I'm a-asking you
.
Hey True Blue, can you bear the load
Will you tie it up with wire
Just to keep the show on the road
Hey True Blue
.
Hey True Blue, now be Fair Dinkum
Is your heart still there
If they sell us out like sponge cake
Do you rea-eally care
Hey True Blue
.
True Blue, is it me and you
Is it Mum and Dad, is it a co-ockatoo
Is it standin' by your mate when she's in a fight
Or just Vegemi-ite
True-ue-ue Blue, I'm a-asking you...
.
True Blue, is it me and you
Is it Mum and Dad, is it a co-ockatoo
Is it standin' by your mate when he's in a fi-ight
Or just Vegemi-ite
True-ue-ue Blue, True-ue-ue Blue