Costermongers and Cockney rhyming slang Fruit (slang)

the coster s mansion, 1899 sheet music

a costermonger street seller of fruit , vegetables. term, derived words costard (a type of apple) , monger, i.e. seller , came particularly associated barrow boys of london sell produce wheelbarrow or wheeled market stall. costermongers have existed in london since @ least 16th century, when mentioned shakespeare , marlowe , numerous during victorian era, when there said on 30,000 in 1860. gained unsavoury reputation low habits, general improvidence, love of gambling, total want of education, disregard lawful marriage ceremonies, , use of peculiar slang language . 2 examples of slang referring potatoes bog-oranges developed phrase irish fruit referring potatoes , cool delo nammow means watch out old woman words backwards; cool (look), delo (old) , nammow (woman).

out of east end of london traditional cockney rhyming slang developed, works taking 2 words related through short phrase , using first word stand word rhymes second. instance, popular of these rhyming slang phrases used throughout britain telling porkies meaning lies pork pies rhymes lies. alright, me old fruit? example of fruit gum translated meaning chum (a friend or acquaintance).

cassell s dictionary of slang traces uses of fruit meaning easy victim in late 19th century , eccentric person (along fruitball, fruit basket , fruit merchant).