Cockney Rhyming Slang And Examples of Slang Changing Through Time

In this clip, we see a panel of British comedians joking about "Cockney Rhyming Slang," a well-known form of slang from England that originated in the mid-19th century. Although separate from American slang (and extremely different in structure), rhyming slang is important because it shows how complex slangs can become. We see the comedians go through the statement "Now, tonight any flamencoes you give in Pyong score Barney, and I'll also give you two Sunday if at any nickle and dime you woman who does to lubricant gel me what I'm on about," and try to decipher it using rhyming slang rules. One comedian even makes a joke about how the host has basically created "middle class cockney," showing us that even in humor, slang can morph and change.

The website "www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk" separates rhymed phrases into the "Classic" and "Modern" categories, differentiating from terms that originated closer to the 19th century, and those that have gained usage past the slang's heyday. Many other slangs can be shown to have adopted new terms over time, but few are as good of an example of how a subset of slang can grow and morph throughout history as cockney rhyming slang.