Gherkins add a crisp, salty flavor to the rich, fried fish, and at some pubs in London, the pickles are also sometimes referred to as a “wally.” The name “wally” is an old cockney term that was initially used for “olive” in London.
Let's set the record straight - a 'wally' is common British slang for a gherkin. A gherkin is a specific variety of small cucumber that's been pickled in vinegar (i.e. left to ferment for a while in brine or vinegar) But don't let the word ferment put you off!
We're talking cockney rhyming slang of course, here's how it works: you swap the word for its corresponding slang phrase, so 'Ruby Murray' = curry, 'Trouble & Strife' = wife, and 'Bees & Honey' = money. Sometimes you don't say the rhyming word, so you might just say 'Ruby' to mean 'curry'.
Sometimes "Gertie Gitana" (a music hall entertainer) was substituted for the refrain, leading to "Gertie" becoming Cockney rhyming slang for banana the usage of which continues to the modern day.
Pickled olives were often sold in wooden barrels in the local markets, and as fermented Gherkins increased in popularity, they were also sold in the same barrels, earning the same nickname. Many pubs still use the slang “wally” for Gherkins today, and the term has become a favored name only known in the United Kingdom.
In some cases, if referring to a person as a 'cabbage,' or 'cabbage head,' it may refer to somebody as 'slow, ineffectual or foolish. ' See also, 'vegetable. ' However, the term “cabbage” can also refer to “money” which originated from the Old French word “caboche,” meaning head.
Wally is a British English expression referring to a "silly or inept person", which later developed into an umbrella term for "vulnerable individuals".
One such example is the widely used phrase, still common today, “blowing a raspberry” which originates from 'raspberry tart', rhyming slang meaning 'fart'.
"Cream-crackered" is Cockney Rhyming Slang for "knackered" or tired, so if someone's feeling "cream-crackered," they're probably in need of a nap. Another common example of Cockney Rhyming Slang is "apples and pears," which means stairs.
Incidentally, Bowl of Chalk is cockney rhyming slang for 'walk'. If you don't know what cockney rhyming slang is then look it up, or I can tell you when we meet. You see, you've already just learned something about London and you haven't even come on a Bowl Of Chalk yet.
The name “gherkin” comes from the Dutch word “gurken,” which means small pickled cucumber. Gherkins, also known as baby pickles or miniature cucumbers, are usually one to two inches long.
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.
I'm using the old Cockney dialect, rhyming slang. Eh? Paired words that rhyme with the intended word: Bobby Moore = sure, Rosie Lee = tea, loaf of bread = head, Adam and Eve = believe, bees and honey = money, pig and roast = toast, Scooby = Scooby Doo = clue.
Trouble and Strife is cockney rhyming slang for wife. We chose this name because it acknowledges the reality of conflict in relations between women and men. As radical feminists, our politics come directly from this tension between men's power and women's resistance.
To be on one's Jack Jones means to be alone… We can also say 'on me Jack' without the 'Jones' to also mean alone. Did you know this expression comes from Cockney rhyming slang? This type of slang comes from the East End of London but many of its expressions have passed into common language.
There is also a popular method of using rhyming slang by not saying the word that actually rhymes with the intended word. For example, when you say that you don´t have a Scooby, it means to not have a clue. This comes from the popular cartoon dog, Scooby Doo. Scooby Doo – Clue.
