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Friday 1 June 2012

Cockney Translation

I live in the East End of London, which means I am fluent in Cockney rhyming slang. One of the interesting features of Cockney is the number of items named after singers. Probably the best known example is curry, known as a ruby after now obscure Irish chanteuse Ruby Murray. There are plenty of others. For example a park (as in a green public space, not what you do to a car) is called a johnny after Johnny Clarke, while a playground is a curtis after Curtis Mayfield (for "playfield", another word for a playground).

So tonight, metaphorically, we are taking the kids down to the curtis in the johnny for a bit of fun.

"Hey Baby (Give It All To Me)" - Curtis Mayfield

"She Won't Let Nobody But Me" - Curtis Mayfield

"Roots, Natty Roots, Natty Congo" - Johnny Clarke

"Jah Jah See Them Come" - Johnny Clarke

If you need further assistance with Cockney, here's Smiley Culture in his top tifter.

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