The Telegraph : "Londoners baffled by Cockney rhyming slang"

In this article, James Orr reports that, according to new research, Cockney slang is dying out and being used less and less, both by people inside and outside of London. 2000 adults were questioned, half Londoners and half people living outside of London, about which Cockney slang terms they understood. It was found that up to 80% of people didn't understand previously common Cockney slang terms such as "Donkey's ears" (years) and "Mother Hubbard" (cupboard) and "Bacon and Eggs" (legs). Surprisingly, it was also found that Londoners were just as confused about the jargon as non-Londoners. However, it was found that most Londoners still understand the meanings of more common phrases such as "Tea Leaf" (thief) and "Apples and Pears" (stairs). The most common Cockney slang phrase was found to be "Porky Pies" (lies), with 13% of those questioned still using it. 1 in 10 also still used "Cream Crackered" (knackered). This could mean that these more common phrases have, instead of dying like the majority of Cockney slang, have in fact successfully found their way into the modern English Language, and might be here to stay.

Read the full article here.