Kettle and hob = watch The term means watch, which stemmed from a ‘fob’ watch which was a pocket watch attached to the body with a small chain. The kettle used to boil on the hob of a stove… hence the rhyme.
Why are watches sometimes called kettles?
When pocket watches first became fashionable, they were held against the body by use of a small chain. The watch then slipped into the pocket and could be easily extracted without dropping it. These were called fob watches, and it’s from this expression that we get Kettle and Hob for watch.
What is Cockney slang for tea?
But what does having a cup of Rosy actually mean? Having a cup of Rosy simply means having a cup of tea, which could be any tea like Earl Grey, Jasmine, Green Tea, or any other type of tea you want. This expression is one of the most popular Cockney rhyming slang used all over Britain.
Why do Cockneys call a house a gaff?
This comes almost certainly from the use of gaff in the eighteenth-century to mean a fair, and later a cheap music-hall or theatre (as in the famous penny gaff). Again, this probably comes from a Romany word, this time for a town, especially a country town that holds a regular market, where such a fair might be held.
Why do Cockneys call 25 a pony?
Whilst this is not cemented in fact, the widely held belief is that the terms came from soldiers returning to Britain from India. Old Indian rupee banknotes had animals on them and it is said that the 500 rupee note had a monkey on it and the 25 rupee featured a pony.
Are kettles a British thing?
Americans don’t use electric kettles — or at least it’s very rare. This is unlike Britain, where electric kettles are standard for boiling water.
What do British call a kettle?
British people are more likely to use the word teapot than teakettle, but as others have mentioned these words refer to different objects. A Kettle is used to heat water.
What is the Cockney slang for toilet?
Khazi. Another slightly dated alternative word to the toilet, ‘khazi’ (also spelt karzy, kharsie or carzey) is derived from the low Cockney word ‘carsey’, meaning a privy. It has its roots in the nineteenth century, but gained popular usage during the twentieth century.
What is milk in Cockney?
Acker Bilk is Cockney slang for Milk.
What is a bacon in Cockney slang?
The even grimmer thing is “bacon” is also cockney rhyming slang for a pervert – I’m giving Clarkson the benefit of the doubt but it’s even less of a good look.
Why is a walk called a Toby?
“”Toby” means “road” in this context, but it isn’t rhyming slang. It seems to come from about 1811. It is derived from the language of Irish travellers who use the word “tober” to mean road. Another related expression is the toby meaning highway robbery.
What do Cockneys call police?
Bluebottle – The police from Cockney Slang.
Why do Cockneys call glasses bins?
On the subject of ‘bins’ this expression is the cockney rhyming slang for glasses, as in reading glasses, so if someone is having trouble looking up a number in a telephone book you might say put on your ‘bins’.
Why is 300 called a carpet?
The term has since the early 1900s been used by bookmakers and horse-racing, where carpet refers to odds of three-to-one, and in car dealing, where it refers to an amount of £300.
What is coffee in Cockney?
Sticky Toffee is Cockney slang for Coffee.
What is wig in Cockney?
Thus, a wig is a ‘prunes‘, from ‘syrup of prunes’, an obvious parody of the Cockney syrup from syrup of figs – wig.
What do the British call the refrigerator?
Weirdly we British call the fridge a fridge, short for ‘refrigerator’, though others call it an icebox, because they are traditionalists* whereas we tend to move with the times… Specifically the 18th Century.
What do Americans call the kettle?
In the United States, an electric kettle may sometimes be referred to as a hot pot.
What do Brits call a faucet?
ANSWER: It’s called a tap in British English and a faucet in American English.
What do Londoners call potato chips?
In the UK, the thin round slices of fried potato that come in packets are called crisps, while in the US these are called chips.
What do they call scissors in the UK?
noun (used with a singular or plural verb)Chiefly British. scissors or shears, especially pruning shears.