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More Cockney Rhyming Slang Trivia Quiz

If you are 'mutt and jeff' you won't hear a 'dicky bird' - deaf so you won't hear a word. Check out these rhymes I heard at my mother's knee. (Warning, the rhyming word is often left off, just to make it trickier!)

A multiple-choice quiz by helenwalland. Estimated time: 2 mins.

Author
helenwalland

Time
2 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
301,491

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Easy

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
1748

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (10/10), Guest 100 (8/10), psnz (10/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Mum often puzzled me by talking about the 'apples and....' What was she referring to with this rhyming slang phrase? Hint

bears

fairs

chairs

stairs

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Question 2 of 10

2. My grandad lost his titfer regularly. What was it? Hint

cat

brat

fat

hat

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Question 3 of 10

3. Buying a new whistle was quite an event. What would it be? Hint

shooter

boot

suit

root

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Question 4 of 10

4. Here's an interesting one 'jam jar'. A small glass container holding preserves, but to a cockney..? Hint

car

star

far

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Question 5 of 10

5. Can you guess what a 'pen' might be? Hint

shrink

cuff link

stink

mink

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Question 6 of 10

6. Cockneys have 'mince pies' all the year round, not just at Christmas. What can they be? Hint

spies

lies

eyes

flies

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Question 7 of 10

7. What do you think 'loaf' means? This is still very much in use today. Hint

tread

lead

head

fed

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Question 8 of 10

8. Cockneys do eat off plates, but this is also slang for ? Hint

seat

feet

street

cheat

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Question 9 of 10

9. 'I'll give you a bone' doesn't sound very good, but what is the rhyming slang for this? Hint

phone

stone

alone

loan

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Question 10 of 10

10. 'Have you seen me trouble?' our neighbour often asked. What is he talking about? Hint

lowlife

knife

wife

life

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 18 2024 : Guest 86: 10/10
Nov 19 2024 : Guest 100: 8/10
Nov 15 2024 : psnz: 10/10
Oct 27 2024 : twlmy: 10/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Mum often puzzled me by talking about the 'apples and....' What was she referring to with this rhyming slang phrase?

Answer: stairs

Apples and pears is real old Cockney slang for stairs. The wooden hill is another English expression for stairs but not punchy enough for Cockneys.

2. My grandad lost his titfer regularly. What was it?

Answer: hat

Titfer is a shortening of tit for tat (which to us British means to pay someone back in kind, often revenge). There is lots of rhyming slang for articles of clothing.

3. Buying a new whistle was quite an event. What would it be?

Answer: suit

'Whistle and Flute' means a suit, another of the clothing rhymes. 'Daisy roots'
is boots. Cockney slang changes and develops all the time.
Originally it was a way of communicating without other people from outside the East End of London understanding.
With radio and television the language is almost universally understood thanks to programmes like 'Porridge' and 'Only Fools and Horses'.

4. Here's an interesting one 'jam jar'. A small glass container holding preserves, but to a cockney..?

Answer: car

Of course a jam jar is a car. My grandad was very proud of his first 'jar'.
Another interesting piece of British slang is a 'jam sandwich' for a 'police car' because a lot of police cars are white with a red stripe across the sides.

5. Can you guess what a 'pen' might be?

Answer: stink

'Ooh there's a pen in here!' my gran would say, pulling a face meaning there was a 'pen and ink' stink.
Interestingly a website about rhyming slang gives the answer 'drink' for 'pen and ink'. This was not the use applied in my family!

6. Cockneys have 'mince pies' all the year round, not just at Christmas. What can they be?

Answer: eyes

All the parts of the body have rhyming slang. This is one of the earlier examples of the slang.

7. What do you think 'loaf' means? This is still very much in use today.

Answer: head

Even our teachers would use this - telling us to use 'your loaf' when faced with a problem.
The rhyme, in case you haven't guessed it, is 'loaf of bread'.

8. Cockneys do eat off plates, but this is also slang for ?

Answer: feet

'Plates of meat' - feet, on which you put your 'daisy roots' - boots!

9. 'I'll give you a bone' doesn't sound very good, but what is the rhyming slang for this?

Answer: phone

The full version of this is 'dog and bone'. Usually rhyming slang is shortened by only using the first word. This one is different taking the last word for the normal use. I wonder if this is because it is a fairly modern idiom. Not many cockneys had a phone before about 1950ish. Much of the original rhyming slang dates back earlier than Queen Victoria's reign in the 19th century.

10. 'Have you seen me trouble?' our neighbour often asked. What is he talking about?

Answer: wife

I love the picture this gives. A poor henpecked cockney being beaten by his 'trouble and strife' - wife. What imagination they have!

Interestingly there isn't really any slang for husband. I recall the usual reference amongst my relatives, being 'me old man'.

Source: Author helenwalland

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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