Just to rewind to the concept of 'geezer' which started this thread - following the 7/7 bombings a well-dressed and articulate young man was interviewed for the TV news, as he had witnessed the destruction of a London 'bus and had seen the the body of a victim in the wreckage. His opening statement was, 'I seen this geezer in the cab'. For him, at least, no feelings of disrespect or inappropriateness - just a synonym for 'person'

Here's a slice of Sarf London life which puts 'geezer' in context, and for advanced students, introduces the concepts of 'chav', 'well fit' and 'goer'.


STREETS OF PECKHAM RYE

By Catford cop-shop wall,
I heard some geezer calling,
Leroy, they have taken you away,
For you nicked a bottle of gin, from the shop that it was in,
And now they've gone and checked your DNA.

And low lie the streets of Peckham Rye,
Where once we watched the scruffy pigeons fly,
When we went out last night, they caught you bang to rights,
And I ain't gonna be your alibi.

By that lonely cop-shop wall,
I heard a young chav calling,
Kevin, I have got to get away,
'Cos my girlfriend's got a flat, I can hide away in that,
Till it's safe to come back home to Peckham Rye.

And low lie the streets of Peckham Rye,
Where once we watched the scruffy pigeons fly,
Don't give me loads of grief, just find a decent brief,
So I can go back home to Peckham Rye.

As he walked back through Milwall,
Where kebab shops smell appalling,
Kevin thought of Leroy's girlfriend, May,
She's well fit and she's a goer,
And the more he thought it over,
He fancied seeing Leroy put away.

And low lie the streets of Peckham Rye,
Where once we watched the scruffy pigeons fly,
Now Leroy's prison bound, but Kevin's still around,
Still thieving on the streets of Peckham Rye.