Subject: RE: A is for 'orses
From:
Ian Kirk (inactive)
Date: 18 Feb 99 - 06:18 AM
Hi Andreas
Cockney, has a number of characteristics as a regional dialect. One of the most commonly heard is the dropped aitch and the silent 'g'. As in 'arf for half and goin' for going. Which may help to explain why some of the below is unclear. As a South Londoner myself as it 'appens I 'ave a tendency to drop my 'aitches particularly if I get talking to somebody with a strong London accent. At one time Cockney speech was most prevalent amongst the poor and working class districts of the East End of London where I worked for a time. But you now hear variations of it all over the London area from Essex in the North to Kent in the South.
I have recently read The Story of English by McCrum, Cran and MacNeil published by Faber and Faber. It is a fascinating book tracing the spread of English throughout the world and how it has been modified by the population over the countries where it has taken root.
There is a complete chapter on American English and the effect on the use of English in the USA of one Mr Noah Webster the author of Webster's Dictionary. In the first half of the 19th C he dedicated himself to producing books and dictionaries in an attempt to standardize American English. His spelling books were used in schools all over the USA and the method of teaching English at the time was to pronounce each syllable of a word. It is suggested it is one of the reasons why American speech is in the main more measured than it is elsewhere. For example I would pronounce secretary "secretree" whereas an American would be more inclined to say sec-re-tary giving equal weight to each part of the word. I say defence with the stress on the 'f' an American would put the stress on the 'd' and on the f as in deefence.
Anyway back to the subject in hand. I hope my translations help.
A for 'orses = Hay for Horses
E for Brick = Heave a Brick - as in throw a brick
F for vescence = Effervescence - as in fizzy
G for police = Chief of Police
I for tower = Eiffel Tower
J for oranges = Jaffa Oranges - Jaffa are or where the biggest importers of oranges in to the UK and every orange you saw had a Jaffa sticker on it
L for leather = Hell for Leather. Don't know the derivation of this but it is a commonly used expression to run hell for leather away from something
M for sis = emphasis
N for dig = I think this is Infra Dig a shortening of the Latin for beneath one's dignity
O for the garden wall = Over the Garden Wall - I think it was the title of a popular Radio Programme in the 30's and 40's
O for the wings of a dove = Oh for the Wings of a Dove. The title of a popular song I think turn of the century
R for mo' = Half a Mo - Half a Moment -similar to the German augenblick ( excuse my spelling)
U for mism = Euphemisn
Z for breezes = I think if you pronounce the Z - Zee you get Sea for Breezes. I'm guessing
If I can 'elp wiv anyfink else givvus a shout
Ian
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