Why Do Cockneys Call A Watch A Kettle?

Kettle and hob = watch This is a confusing phrase as it doesn’t rhyme with its modern-day meaning. The term means watch, which stemmed from a ‘fob’ watch which was a pocket watch attached to the body with a small chain. The kettle used to boil on the hob of a stove… hence the rhyme.

Why are watches sometimes called kettles?

When pocket watches first became fashionable, they were held against the body by use of a small chain. The watch then slipped into the pocket and could be easily extracted without dropping it. These were called fob watches, and it’s from this expression that we get Kettle and Hob for watch.

Why do Londoners call a house a drum?

Drum and Bass is Cockney slang for Place.
The word drum was originally used to describe a room or prison cell or even a road. It then became confined to only mean the home. Finally this was rhymed with Drum and Bass giving its modern interpretation.

Why do Cockneys call a house a gaff?

This comes almost certainly from the use of gaff in the eighteenth-century to mean a fair, and later a cheap music-hall or theatre (as in the famous penny gaff). Again, this probably comes from a Romany word, this time for a town, especially a country town that holds a regular market, where such a fair might be held.

Why do Cockneys call a Cheque a kite?

Kite: originally meant a worthless bill or cheque. Hence you would say “I am going to fly a kite” means you are going to pass a bad cheque. The word seems to now mean any cheque (bad or not).

Are kettles a UK thing?

Americans don’t use electric kettles — or at least it’s very rare. This is unlike Britain, where electric kettles are standard for boiling water.

What is a kettle in UK?

An electric kettle is a staple in UK kitchens. We use them to make hot drinks, but also for food prep, sterilising and more. Advertisement. They all boil water, of course, but kettles vary considerably. Some let you choose the temperature, which can be important if you drink teas like oolong.

What is the Cockney slang for toilet?

Khazi. Another slightly dated alternative word to the toilet, ‘khazi’ (also spelt karzy, kharsie or carzey) is derived from the low Cockney word ‘carsey’, meaning a privy. It has its roots in the nineteenth century, but gained popular usage during the twentieth century.

Why is 200 called a bottle?

bottle = two pounds, or earlier tuppence (2d), from the cockney rhyming slang: bottle of spruce = deuce (= two pounds or tuppence). Spruce probably mainly refers to spruce beer, made from the shoots of spruce fir trees which is made in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.

Why is a safe called a Peter?

Peter is slang for ‘safe’, as in money box. The origin of the word is unclear. Some sources say it comes from the same root as the Biblical St Peter – the Greek word for rock Petra, since safes are supposed to rock solid.

Why do Cockneys call glasses bins?

On the subject of ‘bins’ this expression is the cockney rhyming slang for glasses, as in reading glasses, so if someone is having trouble looking up a number in a telephone book you might say put on your ‘bins’.

How do you say hello in Cockney?

‘Hiya’ or ‘Hey up’ – these informal greetings both mean ‘hello’ and are especially popular in the north of England.

Why is a walk called a Toby?

“”Toby” means “road” in this context, but it isn’t rhyming slang. It seems to come from about 1811. It is derived from the language of Irish travellers who use the word “tober” to mean road. Another related expression is the toby meaning highway robbery.

What is a Jimmy in Cockney slang?

Source: Brewer’s Dictionary of London Phrase & Fable Author(s): Russ Willey. ‘Piddle’ in cockney rhyming slang, meaning to urinate.

What is a Jaffa in Cockney?

(slang) An impotent or infertile male.

What are Jacobs in Cockney?

(UK, slang) Testicles (sometimes spelt Jacob’s).

Can I use a UK kettle in the US?

The standard UK voltage is 240v, whereas the United States standard voltage is 120v. Devices that are dual-voltage work between 110v to 240v, making them suitable for both the UK and the United States. However, many larger appliances or those involving a heating element may not be suitable for use in the United States.

What do American use instead of a kettle?

“I try to be positive and non-judgemental but I just found out Americans often microwave water instead of using a kettle…” Chances are, your standard morning routine includes flicking your kettle on and making yourself a refreshing cup of tea or coffee.

What do they call faucets in England?

tap
Faucet is the most common term in the US, similar in use to “tap” in British English, e.g. “water faucet” (although the term “tap” is also used in the US). Spigot is used by professionals in the trade (such as plumbers), and typically refers to an outdoor fixture.

What does the term kettle refer to?

noun. ket·​tle ˈke-tᵊl. plural kettles. : a metallic vessel usually used for boiling liquids.

What are the two types of kettles?

There are three main types of tea kettles: electric, stovetop and gooseneck.