Cockney

cockney English Alternative forms en cockney Etymology First attested in Samuel Rowland's 1600 The Letting of Humours Blood in the Head-Vaine as "a Bowe-bell Cockney", from en enm cokenay a spoiled child; a milksop, an effeminate man, used in the 16th c. by English country folk as a term of disparagement for city dwellers, of uncertain etymology. Possibly from en enm cokeney a small, misshapen egg, from enm coken cocks'(rooster’s) + enm ey egg or from Cockney and enm Cocknay, variants of enm Cockaigne, a mythical land of luxury (first attested in 1305) eventually used as a humorous epithet of London. Compare en cocker to spoil a child. Pronunciation en /ˈkɒk.ni/ UK en En-au-Cockney.ogg AU en ɒkni 2 Adjective - en UK From the East End of London, or London generally. Of or relating to people from this area or their speech style. Noun en UK _ slang Any Londoner. en 1859 w:J.C. Hotten w:A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant and Vulgar Words http://books.google.com/books?id=Zhk9h-w1negC&pg=PA22 22 COCKNEY, a native of London. An ancient nickname implying effeminacy, used by the oldest English writers, and derived from the imaginary fool's paradise, or lubberland, Cockaygne. en UK A Londoner born within earshot of the city's Bow Bells, or en now generically any working-class Londoner. en 1617 w:Fynes Moryson An Itinerary Londoners, and all within the sound of Bow Bell, are in reproach called Cockneys. en 1617 w:John Minsheu Ductor in Linguas A Cockney or Cocksie, applied only to one born within the sound of Bow bell, that is in the City of London. “Charming place, ma’am,” said he, bowing to the widow; “noble prospect—delightful to us Cocknies, who seldom see anything but Pall Mall.” 26 en December 18 2000 BBC and Bafta Tribute to Michael Caine 16:43-17:05 Parkinson: You made films before, but the part that really made your name was Zulu, wasn't it and there of courseagainst typeyou played the toff, you played the officer.Caine: I played the officer, yeah, and everybody thought I was like that. Everyone was so shocked when they met me, this like Cockney guy had played this toffee-nosed git. Proper noun The dialect or accent of such Londoners. Derived terms en mockney Cockneydom Cockneyese Cockneyish Cockneyland Sylheti Cockney Further reading en informal demonyms en British demonyms London People Dialects English