Would you Adam & Eve it*!
So 5 days after being knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter final (against my beloved LiverpoolFC) Manchester City was yesterday crowned champions of England. But would believe* that their city rivals Manchester United actually helped them to become champions by losing 1-0 at HOME to bottom of the pile (Schlußlicht) West Bromich Albion!! Disaster for Man.Utd.
Don’t worry, this post isn’t solely (nur) about footy, but infact an intro to talk about the phrase “Would you Adma & Eve it?“, which is Cockney rhyming slang for “Would you belive it? (because ‘Adam & Eve‘ rhymes with ‘believe‘).
Today, I want to give you 5 Cockney rhyming slangisms to impress (beeindrücken) British people. The following phrases are now commonplace in British English, althought they orginated as Cockney slang.
- “Here have a butcher’s at the figures (Zahlen) from Q1“ (butcher’s hook rhymes with ‘look‘.
- “I had back –to- back meetings from 9-5 today, I’m cream-crackered.“ (cream krackered rhymes with knackered (slang= erschöpft)
- How’s your trouble & strife getting on? (trouble & strife = wife)
- Oh come on, use your loaf, for crying out load(verdammt noch mal) ( Loaf (of bread) = head i.e. think about it/use your brain/head
Finally a bit of a naughty one, you have been warned!!!
- He’s a real merchant banker (merchant banker = wanker(Wichser)
Visiting London in the near future? Check out www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk