Rhyming sland

[pator]

Have just finished reading Bermondsey Boy: Memories of a forgotten time... autobiography by Tommy Steele - Being a cockney he uses the rhyming slang sometimes and couldn't understand what "cabbage" stood for - have heard since it could mean party, but does anyone know the true meaning please. It was a very interesting book if anyone is interested in autobiographies.

[VHG]

I never know whether to trust the internet.

Anyway some web sites say that "cabbage" was slang for snippets of cloth appropriated by a tailor from a customer's material, or left over material from a factory making clothes.

If you gathered up all these "spare" bits of material and sold them you could use the proceeds to have a party.

Sounds a bit contrived, but who knows.

[VHG]

Funny thing about this sort of slang is that often the original meaning is lost or forgotten.

So, for example, nowadays it is deemed fairly trivial to call someone a "berk".

But "berk" is rhyming slang for "Berkeley Hunt" and I will leave you to work out what that is rhyming slang for.

[brionon]

Thanks VHG-a new one for me.

[brionon]

I'm a Poet !!!

[jno]

in what context was he using it? Did it look as if it meant party?

[kayakamina]

A new one I recently learned.

I overheard a chap telling his mate ' It was very early & I was still in my Barack O'Bamas!'

Pj's!

[pator]

Thanks for all your feed back - have heard a few new ones there... The first time cabbage was mentioned it said that they only wore a suit for weddings,funerals and cabbage ? and the second time was they would have to bring him back to the cabbage ? - so I suppose it could mean party - but how do you get party from cabbage ? can't think of another word to go with it that rhymes.

[tenrec]

It may be something like "wistle and flute" = Suit.
Cabbage Patch = ?
D'you see what I mean?

[paddywak]

You might find this site helpful in future though there's no mention of "Cabbage"
http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/slang/C

[puzzled54]

VHGs answer made me think - I can remember going to 'cabbage' shops to buy cheap clothes in the late 60s early 70s. Supposedly, homeworkers were given lengths of cloth to make clothes for the trade, and if they cut the cloth 'well', they could get an extra garment or two which they then sold on to the cabbage shops for their own profit.

[TheWinner]

cabbage 1. A stupid person or someone with no mental abilities whatever. 2. Cloth trimmed from a customer's material by a tailor. 3. Pilfer or steal.[76]

from Wikipedia.

[Dee Sa]

Cabbage was used by tailors and in sweat shops I believe. shame the book didnt list these things at the end.
Being a genuine cockney myself [ much to my mothers horror -she had complications with me and they removed her from the nursing home to a maternity hospital within the sound of Bow Bells] we dont actually say the whole thing eg "up the apples" your are supposed to know that its "apples &pears" for stairs !
some fairly new ones :_ pass the rockinghorse [ sauce]
he is still in his barraks [ barrak obamas = pyjamas]
There are not many of us left now we have become multiracial society ! and neither my mum or dad were Londoners and of course all my pals and their parents were so it was like living with two aliens ! they tried so hard to fit in but they just did not.

[ABerrant]

Snippets from 'Bermondsey Boy: Memories of a Forgotten World' by Tommy Steele...

"A hat was produced to collect donations for the party. Aunt Mary and Cousin Rose ran home... and I tore round to Frean Street to warn Mum that a cabbage was about to begin. The front room was cleared... and all that night Frean Street rang with the best knees-up I'd ever had. It was my first opening night-party"


"...Darbo invited himself onto the podium to sing 'Ain't misbehavin'...'
Frankie loved the phrasing Darbo gave to the song so he and Barry took him to a cabbage in Peckham to sing it again."