Have you ever wondered what people say when they ask for a Cockle and Hen or a bullseye?
Although they are not as commonly heard as they once would have been, these terms may still crop up in your daily London life.
We’ve put together a list of cockney words for money that may come in useful when doing business at old East End markets or if you’re at a local pub quiz.
Here are some of them:
A nugget - £1
Sometimes also called a “nicker”, this means one British pound.
Lady Godiva or deep sea diver - £5
Lady Godiva rhymes with a fiver, meaning £5.
So, if something were to cost £5 you may say “It’ll only cost you one Lady Godiva”.
Cockle and Hen - £10
No surprise with this one, in true Cockney rhyming slang this isn’t a difficult one to figure out.
A score - £20
If something costs £20 you may say “I only paid a score for it.”
Pony - £25
To coin a phrase of a famous song, “stick a pony in your pocket, I’ll fetch the suitcase from the van.”
Many Only Fools and Horses fans will probably recognise this one, anyone with a “pony” in their pocket will have the sum of £25 to spend.
Bullseye - £50
Anyone who says they’ve got a “bullseye” will have a £50 note in their pocket.
Ton - £100
If someone was to say “call it a ton”, they’d be asking for the sum of £100.
Monkey - £500
If someone says “it’ll cost you a monkey”, they’re asking for £500.
Bag of Sand - £1000
Otherwise known as a grand, a bag of sand is the rhyming slang used to ask for £1000.
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