Rhyming slang has gained a cliched reputation in recent years, but
there is no doubt that this curious linguistic phenomenon is of
interest to many of us, and its origins have as much etymological
interest as the more sober passages in Oxford's more sober
dictionaries. The layout here is by subject: the 27 subjects
covered include sex, food and drink, the animal world and apparel,
as full of often witty synonyms (how about the classical allusion
of 'Oedipus Rex' for sexual intercourse? 'Trolley and Truck' is
another entry that doesn't need too much working out). But, because
this isn't a book like Ronnie Barker's compilations of cockney
rhyming slang that simply goes for the laugh, there is often a
genuine scholarship to be found in the definitions. 'Fields of
wheat' for 'street' for instance, is noted as a piece of irony:
congested city streets could not be further removed from waving
fields of wheat. All 150 years of rhyming slang (yes, the
dictionary is that time-specific) are covered, right up to the
usages that are still being coined today. So if you prefer to call
a road a 'frog and toad' (much rhyming slang takes more time to say
than the word it replaces), or refer to your bride as your 'fat and
wide' (rhyming slang is rarely flattering!), then this is the
lexicon for you. John Ayto's approach is never po-faced (how could
it be with this subject?) and his knowledge is worn lightly. So get
off your bottle and glass, and have yourself a good cow and calf
with this diverting book. (Kirkus UK)
A lively, authoritative, and up-to-date look at the world of
rhyming slang, from its origins in London's 19th-century underworld
to the buzzwords of 21st-century popney. Arranged by topic,
including Crime, Food and Drink, Illness, Money, Sex, and Sport,
this highly readable collection is at once an informative source to
the story behind some of our most lively expressions and a
browser's delight.
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