- Highly readable. Lively and informed collection of rhyming slang — Arranged in 27 topics, including clothing, food and drink, sex, animals, and illness, to provide a coherent picture of the development and range of rhyming slang as applied to all areas of life — Charts the 150 year history of rhyming slang from its origins in 19th century cockney rhyming slang to modern popney rhyming slang — Full of exquisite detail and hundreds of illustrative examples complete with informed commentary — Written by a highly regarded linguistic, author of the popular Oxford Dictionary of Slang and Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang A lively, authoritative, and up-to-date look at the world of rhyming slang, from its origins in London's 19th-century underworld to the buzzwords of 21st-century popney. Arranged by topic, including Crime , Food and Drink , Illness , Money , Sex , and Sport , this highly readable collection is at once an informative source to the story behind some of our most lively expressions and a browser's delight.