rhd
Freshman
Posts: 3 
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Post by rhd on Feb 9, 2017 20:05:40 GMT -2
I am fascinated by English slang terms, and a few time ago I ran into something that comes under the heading of "rhyming slang". I had never heard about it, and it's still not yet clear if it's actually popular among native speakers or if it's just a peculiarity of a minority of people. The idea is quite simple, but I still can't get my head around it, as it is difficult to guess what meaning the expressions carry. I think the only way to understand them is by memorizing them, or is there any other way? A way to find out what they mean without having to resort to memorization?
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Post by gavin on Feb 9, 2017 20:54:54 GMT -2
Oh man, this is such an interesting topic! Are you talking about the British rhyming slang, like "Use your loaf!" which means "Use your head!" (because "loaf of bread")?
Or could you give some specific examples? I love this type of stuff.
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rhd
Freshman
Posts: 3
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Post by rhd on Feb 9, 2017 21:17:11 GMT -2
Haha that's exactly what I'm talking about. I've seen some such as "cream-crackered" (knackered)- which I assume is predominantly British. I wonder if they might be arbitrary, in the sense that anyone can come up with an expression and the listener has to assume the meaning ( using their imagination most of the time), or if they're all defined and it's just a matter of memorization.
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