The Oxford Dictionary of Rhyming Slang

Rhyming slang is a subject of perennial though casual interest to most of us in the UK. Our knowledge is rarely profound, limited usually to a handful of rhymes. Available phrase books of London rhyming slang (such as the long‐lived Rhyming Cockney Slang by Jack Jones, first published in 1971 and into its 27th impression by the year 2001) are souvenirs rather than practical dictionaries. Ayto sets the current scene authoritatively: “(r)hyming slang serves as a saleable icon of London life and culture. It has become a commodity, to an extent unparalleled in any other area of language and usage....