and regarding "cockney" This is from THE HISTORY OF COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG at http://fun-with-words.com/crs_history.html

"The Cockneys were - and are - working class Londoners. The word comes from cockeneyes (14th century) which means eggs that are misshapen, as if laid by a cock. The word went through a series of usages over the centuries, and it came to be used to refer to city folk, ignorant of 'real life'.
Nowadays the definition of Cockney is often one which originated during the 17th century. It refers to anyone born within the sound of Bow-bells. These are the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow Church in the City of London. "