Saturday 19 November 2011

Comedy Carpet Alphabet Translation

Some of my guesses were incorrect so I did some research.


In the 1930s, the comedy double act Clapham and Dwyer recorded this version of the Cockney Alphabet:
A for 'orses (hay for horses)
B for mutton (beef or mutton)
C for 'th highlanders (Seaforth Highlanders)
D for 'ential (deferential)
E for Adam (Eve or Adam)
F for 'vescence (effervescence)


G for police (Chief of police)
H for respect (age for respect)
I for Novello (Ivor Novello)
J for oranges (Jaffa oranges)
K for 'ancis, (Kay Francis), or K for undressing
L for leather (Hell for leather)


M for 'sis (emphasis)
N for 'adig (in for a dig, or infradig)
O for the garden wall (over the garden wall)
P for a penny (pee for a penny)
Q for a song (cue for a song), or Q for billiards (cue for billiards)




R for mo' (half a mo')
S for you (it's for you)
T for two (tea for two)
U for films (UFA films)
V for La France (Vive La France)




W for a bob (double you for a bob)
X for breakfast (eggs for breakfast)
Y for Gawd's sake (why, for God's sake)
Z for breezes (zephyr breezes: see West wind)

More information about the Comedy Carpet can be found here.
More information about the Cockney Alphabet can be found on Wikipedia - where I found the information above.


5 comments:

  1. Love it :)

    Thanks for Bettys bit of butter
    cate x

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  2. Very clever. I got some of them, not all.

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  3. I just saw this (or a very similar) version in the Red catalogue as a framed print. R for Mo is my favourite!

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  4. Absolutely clever and hilarious. Love it!

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  5. I am so glad you put up the real meanings,I got a few but no way near even a quarter lol..thanks you so much many smiles reading this.

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Thank you for your comments. it's always exciting reading them.