London slang is slang that is used in London. Cockney rhyming slang is the best known form of London slang, but London has a very diverse population and there are many sources and styles of slang. An example is Jamaican patois.
One problem with identifying what is specifically London slang is that the dominant cultural position that London has within the United Kingdom causes London slang to be exported to the rest of the UK, leading to London slang becoming general United Kingdom English slang.
Sources of London slang
London slang is a mixture from many sources, reflecting the diverse cultural makeup of the city's population.
In 21st century South London, Jamaican patois is the source of words such as "dat" and "dere".
Many London slang words and phrases are believed to have been imported from Indian languages by servicemen in the 19th century. London slang words for money such as "monkey" (£500) and "pony" (£25) are believed to have come from the Indian rupee banknote, which features pictures of such animals.
Another money slang word, "nicker" (£1) is hypothesised to be connected to the U.S. "nickel". Conversely, "wonga" is believed to have come from Romany.
Modern Urban Slang in London
In August 2005, Professor Sue Fox, from Queen Mary University, concluded that cockney slang was dying out. She says that young children in East London, as well as most of London, are being influenced by words and phrases brought in from outside cultures, primarily Bangladeshi. This is primarily true, as many teenagers from London are incorporating new words into their increasing vocabularies, many of which borrowed from outside the UK. This has been followed up by several publications about the changing faces of youth dialect in several national newspapers. These include the Times and the Guardian.
Common London Slang
| Slang | Definition |
|---|---|
| Breh/Brey | Boy |
| Creps | Trainers (sneakers) |
| Wasteman | Stupid Person |
| Gash | Girl |
| Grimey | Good/ Great |
| Man Dem | People |
| Whats Gwanin? | Whats Going On? |
| Safe | Greeting/ OK |
| Heavy | Good/ Great |
| Nang | Cool/ Good |
| Bars | -Referring to bars of music. |
| Seen/ Skeen | I see |
| Shank | Knife |
| Gat | Gun |
| Endz | A neighbourhood |
| Manor | see "Endz" |
| North Weezee | North-West London |
| Southside/Eastside | South or East London |
| Bare | Many |
| Boyed | to be made fun of. |
| (to be) Aired | (to be) ignored |
| Shag | Sexual Intercourse |
British Airways' list of London slang words and phrases
In 2005, British Airways launched an advertising campaign in the United States, purporting to teach people approximately 60 (of what it deemed to be) "London slang" words such as "peckish" and "snog". A feature of the campaign was that slang words were listed on the British Airways web site, along with links to an "Insider's guide to London", the URLs for which people were encouraged to send to one another via electronic mail or SMS. Another feature was that it was context-sensitive. The word "queue" was used on an advertisement on a bus shelter, for example, explaining how people "queue for a bus".
"Queue" is not considered to be a slang word in United Kingdom English, however, and several other of British Airways' other purported "London slang" words are considered to be either general United Kingdom English slang words or simply not slang words at all, merely differences between United Kingdom English and United States English. Other words and phrases in the British Airways list of London slang were:
References
- "London slang". July 22.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=and|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - Zachary Rodgers (2005-05-05). "British Airways Campaign Teaches London Slang".
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|org=ignored (help) - "Don't Be "Naff" -- Learn To Use "Chuffed," "Laughing Gear" "Half Four" and Dozens of Other British Slang Words Before Your London Holiday". 2005-05-04.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|org=ignored (help) - Vicky Wilks (2004-07-09). "'Yo bro, nice bling, innit'".
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|org=ignored (help) - "money slang history". July 25.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=and|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - "London slang". FF5 Worldbook. July 25.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=and|year=/|date=mismatch (help)
See also
- Some places in London with slang names:
- London slang in popular culture
- Minder — a television series named with the London slang for a bodyguard
- The Sweeney — a television series named with the London slang (specifically Cockney rhyming slang) for the Flying Squad (Sweeney Todd → Flying Squad)
- The Bill — a television series named with the London slang for the Metropolitan Police Service
- Some things with London slang names:
- "The Addicks" — a football club nicknamed with the London slang for haddock