London Slang from Past to Present

Level - Upper Intermediate/ Advanced

Welcome to your first lesson! Every week I´ll be posting an article and a challenge that hopefully will entertain and train your English, Entertrain you if you will! These lessons usually contain bad language and subject matter that is only suitable for adult learners. 

Brixton, London - Electric Avenue

´Them creps are nang, blad!´ What do you think that means?
A. Those pancakes are horrible, Bread
B. Those trainers are cool, friend.
C. That stuff belongs to my grandmother, Brad

I won´t tell you which option is correct just yet. But who speaks like this? Did someone spill a drink on Stephen Hawking´s voice box? Nope. This is the slang (gíria) of young London today. This is Jafaican.

Jafaican (fake Jamaican) is a multicultural dialect emerging in London´s inner city where the traditional cockney accent is being replaced by a mixture of ethnic influences. Accents from West Africa, Jamaica, Bangladesh, India and South America are all part of the mix.

the Bow Bells

The traditional cockney was born within the sound of the Bow Bells (the bells of the Church of St Mary-le-Bow), an area of about 5 or 6 square miles in the East End of London where the working class lived. Cockneys have their own culture and dialect, they also have their own king. The Pearly King. He is dressed in pearls from head to foot. Since the 1950s the Cockneys have been moving to the suburbs and to the county of Essex, where they have another king called David Beckham aka Golden Balls who lives in Beckingham Palace. They are now called Towies (The Only Way Is Essex) and they like nothing better than to dance round their handbags and wear fake tan.

Some people, especially teachers, complain about the new Jafaican  dialect, but like it or hate it, it is a very real part of modern London life and it is very useful to know some of the key words in both Cockney and Jafaican.

Cockney gangster in The Long Good Friday

Cockney Glossary:

Rhyming slang –                 China (plate) = Mate = Friend

                                               Apple and Pears = Stairs escadaria

                                               Dog and Bone = Telephone

                                               Battlecruiser = Boozer = Pub

                                               Trouble and Strife = Wife Esposa

                                               Adam and Eve it = Believe it acreditar

Pronunciation tip –          

Drop your hs e.g. ´Ave you any ´oney, ´Arold? = Have you any honey, Harold?

                                              

Dizzee Rascal

Jafaican Glossary:

                                               Creps = trainers tennis

                                               Yard = Home Casa

                                               Blad/ Bredren/ Bruv = Mate = Friend

                                               Yute = Kid

                                               Safe = Hello

                                               Ends = Neighbourhood Bairro

                                               Sket = Girl of easy virtue Piranha

                                               Low Batties = Trousers

                                               Batty boy = Gay

                                               Nang = Cool

                                               Sick = Good

                                               Baddaman = Really good

                                               Deep = Horrible

                                               Allow it = Leave or forget it

                                               Nuff = Really

                                               Fit/Buff = Attractive

                                               Begging = Talking nonsense falando asneira

                                               Jamming = Hanging around passar tempo

                                               Chat = contradict negar

                                               Bare = a lot, very

                                               Flex it = show off exibir-se

Grammar tip –                  Was replaces Were in the past simple e.g. we was jamming. we were jamming.  

                                        Innit replaces all question tags e.g. you´d like an ice cream, innit? 

                                         You´d like an ice cream, wouldn´t you?

So, can you translate ´Them creps are nang, blad´? That´s right the correct answer was B!

A)Watch Ali-G on religion and answer the following questions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wrKslUpB8Y Answers on Answer Page!

 1.Check yourself before you what?

2.God is like an overhyped what?

3.Ali G´s mate Dave has what?

4. Who is the MacDaddy of the Christian faith?

5.What does Ali G think is a coincidence

6.Where might Jesus have been born?

7.What did Ali G´s girlfriend Julie once ask him to do?

8. How many years has the catholic priest been celibate?

9.What does Ali find hypocritical?

10.What was the nun at Ricky C´s birthday called?

  

B)Write a letter to your Jafaican pen pal telling them about your life and your routine! Post them on the comments page!