Cockney rhyming slang/Talk

I'm at work so I don't have time to address this right now - but this article focuses a little too much on CRS in East London, and fails to explore the way it has spread across the world. CRS is very common in Australia, and has even turned up in the US - eg. the term "Raspberry" for a fart, derives from "raspberry tart" (source: David Crystal - The English Language). It's still a very good article though - just needs a bit more depth. - MMGB

Er, I'm struggling to see how an article on Cockney rhyme slang can fail to focus on [East London]? the home of Cockney?s born within the sound of [Bow Bells]?... But I am being slightly disingenuous. Rhyming slang has indeed taken on a global context, but probably would be better dealt with under, say, [Rhyming slang]?, crosslinked to CRS. sjc

I disagree, mainly because it has spread across the world, and is generally referred to as "cockney rhyming slang". Examine Bryson - Mother Tongue, and Crystal (cited above). It is not called simply "rhyming slang", it is always referred to as "Cockney rhyming slang". Rhyming Slang is quite different - to call a "beer" an "ear" is rhyming slang, to call a beer a "bullock" is CRS (as in "bullock and steer"). Whether the expression itself is used in Cockney territory is not the point, CRS also refers to a style of linguistic usage. It's definitely used and referred to as such in Oz and NZ. I've been aware of CRS since I was a child, and long before I was even aware what "cockney" actually referred to. I doubt Americans would recognise the term as such, but nonetheless the books I have read on the topic clearly identified its heritage. That's all :) - MMGB

V. persuasive, Manning, I don't have any particular problem with that approach. sjc