Shadowing Practice: How Cockneys REALLY Use Rhyming Slang! - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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I ain't got nothing on me.
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Think that's all I can tell you for now?
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I'm going to see a man about an horse.
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Do you know what I mean?
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Alright.
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Cockney rhyming slang.
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First, what is a Cockney?
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A true Cockney is someone born within the sound of the Bow Bells, which is St Marylebow Church in East London.
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Ding, ding.
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Now, of course, Cockney's spread to other parts of England, not just London, Essex, Luton, Leighton Buzzard, to...
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They're all shitholes.
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So why don't you join us for a cup of rosie?
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Put up your plates of meat.
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Plates of meat?
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With your feet.
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My plates of meat.
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Lovely, you should look at his plates of meat, they're like hobbits' feet.
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Yeah, alright John, alright.
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You have to forgive my brother, he's a bit strange.
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Look, I'll teach you how to use the Cockney rhyming slang, how to speak like Cockney.
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It'll just...
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I don't know what it'll do.
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He's off his rocker.
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They're fixing it. So...
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So unless we intend to do this job in Reno, we're in Barney.
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Barney Rubble.
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Trouble!
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Right, what do you think of him?
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He ain't no cockney.
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He was an iron man.
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Now, I know what you're thinking.
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Why speak in a strange way?
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Why change words unnecessarily?
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Well, back in the day, street traders and criminals used to disguise what they were talking about.
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You want to avoid the coppers?
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You've got to be smart.
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Get creative.
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For example, take a word like look.
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We replace that word with a short phrase of two or three words, but that last word must rhyme with the original word.
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Hook, look.
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But then to make it more of a code, we usually just say the first word of that short phrase.
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So for Another example, if I wanted to say let me have a look in cockney rhyming slang, I'd say let me have a butcher's.
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Another example, you want to get your hair cut, hair rhymes with barnet fair, so you could say in cockney rhyming slang get your barnet fair cut.
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You wouldn't say that though, would you?
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Eh?
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You'd only say the first word, you just said so.
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Barnet, get your barnet cut them correctly or don't do it at all Jason.
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Very easy, you have to do it right.
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Yeah he's right, you would just say the first word usually but that isn't always the way we use Cockney Rhyming slang.
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For example, what rhymes with lie?
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Pork pie.
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Alright with this one, pork pies, pie rhymes with lie but we don't simply say porks, we say porkies.
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You tell me porkies?
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What other ones are there?
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I don't Adam and Eve it.
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Adam and Eve.
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Eve's the last word, rhymes with believe, and it's become known as the word I mean believe.
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But with this, you can't just say I don't Adam it.
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That would be crazy.
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You have to use the whole phrase If you tell me pokeys, I won't add them any bit.
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What else is there?
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Just remember, right, there's two different types.
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Some you can break to just the first word of the phrase, others you have to use the whole phrase.
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These examples you can break to just the first word of the phrase.
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Me China plate, me mate.
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Would you like a cup of rosy, me old China?
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Rosie, Rosie Lee, tea.
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Trouble and strife, wife.
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I ain't got a trouble.
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Ruby Murray, curry.
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Went out for a ruby last night.
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Hampsteadeef, teeth.
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You've got some nice Hampsteads there.
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Bubble bath, laugh.
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You're having a bubble.
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You're talking a load of cobblers.
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It's not bubble, it's giraffe.
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You're having a giraffe.
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Cobblers alls, balls.
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Alright, alright, stop rabbiting on, yeah?
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Rabbiting on, rabbit and pork, talk.
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These ones we usually say as a whole phrase.
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Dog and bone, telephone.
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Can someone get me a dog and bone?
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Apples and pears, stairs.
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Where's your missus?
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Shout out the apples and pears.
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Tea leaf, thief.
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Arfinch, pinch.
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Oi, have you arfinched my shoes?
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Maybe.
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You too, Leaf.
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Boat race?
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That's your face.
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You're looking a bit dirty, mate.
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What's your boat race?
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Egg Marvin.
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Starvin.
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Can we go get a ruby, please, Jason?
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I'm Egg Marvin.
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Lady Godiva?
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Fiver.
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Got a Lady Godiva I could borrow?
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Berkshire Hunt.
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It means you're a...
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Oh, right, that's enough, that's enough.
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John, you can't say that with this.
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However, Courtney rhyming slang nowadays, we don't really use it.
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Well, it seems antiquated now.
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It only is in jest, really.
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Also, if you wanted to, you don't have to just use these ones.
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You can make up your own.
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I'm going to go to the toilet and have a bread pit.
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Well, it appears it's time for a test.
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I hope you're paying attention to all that.
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Oh, if you write in your mint pie, smash all of your hamsters, and then I'll break both your bacon's and probably your loaf and all.
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Then you'll be as the right barney, won't you? Are you ready?
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Porky's.
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Don't tell me any porkies.
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What's the cup of Rosie?
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What are your rambsters?
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Barnet.
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Get your barnet cup.
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What's that?
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You ain't got nowhere to cut, Jason.
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John, stop!
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Alright, calm down.
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I'm sorry for rabbiting on, Jason, but you're being a burk.
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Alright, rabbit on, talk a lot.
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Gotta calm it down, mate.
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Sometimes you just go too fine.
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Probably say me throat hurts.
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Notice again, my becomes me, THs become F sounds, throat.
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What a.
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This is sometimes represented by an apostrophe.
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It sounds like the middle of an O.
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Master Real-Life Cockney Slang: Boost Your Colloquial Fluency
This video targets a key fluency milestone: understanding and using authentic, regionally specific slang—a skill that takes your English from "good" to "natural." Cockney rhyming slang isn’t just a curiosity; it’s a window into how native speakers adapt language for humor, code, and connection. By mastering its patterns, you’ll decode casual conversations and even create your own playful phrases, making you a more confident, engaging speaker.
Phrase Bank: Reusable Cockney Expressions
- "See a man about a horse": A playful way to say you’re leaving (without giving details).
- "Plates of meat": Feet (e.g., "My plates of meat are tired").
- "Butcher's": A look (from "butcher’s hook" rhyming with "look"; "Give me a butcher's").
- "Barnet": Hair (from "Barnet Fayre"; "Get your barnet cut").
- "Porkies": Lies (from "pork pie"; "Don’t tell me porkies!").
- "Adam and Eve it": Believe it (e.g., "I don’t Adam and Eve it!").
Fix Your Weak Spots: Rhythm, Reduction, and Cultural Nuance
Cockney slang thrives on rhythm and reduction—two areas where learners often struggle. Many phrases drop the rhyming part (e.g., "barnet" instead of "Barnet Fayre"), so practicing with a shadowing app can help you mimic the natural flow. Focus on stress: in "pork pie," the emphasis is on "pork," and when shortened to "porkies," the "ies" is quick. A shadow speak tool lets you repeat phrases in real time, training your mouth to move like a native. Additionally, understanding the context (slang is often used in jest) prevents miscommunication. Use shadow speech exercises to nail the casual tone—Cockney isn’t just about words; it’s about attitude. By combining these techniques, you’ll improve English pronunciation, decode hidden meanings, and speak with the confidence of someone who "gets" the language.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | They're fixing · you're thinking · You're having |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | I'll teach · It'll just · it'll do |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | have to forgive · must rhyme · have to do |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | I'm going to see · I'm going to go |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.