Butchers Its a Bangers an' Mash Machine or Look Its a Cockney ATM

Reports of the English Cockney accent’s death in the UK Times in 2005, must have been greatly exaggerated.  Today comes news that Bank Machine, a company that operates 2,500 ATMs in the UK, has added Cockney to the language options of five machines in East London.  The ATMs asked users if they wanted, “some moolah for ya sky rocket”.

While not an actual language, Cockney is considered rhyming slang.  Phrases are created by taking an expression which rhymes with a word and then using that expression instead of the word.

English             Rhymes with         Cockney
Legs                   Scotch eggs            Scotches
Eyes                   Mince pies               Minces
Mate                   China plate              China
Look                   Butcher’s hook         Butcher’s

The best reaction to the new machines came from Roy Parker, 62, a bona fide Cockney.  When asked for an opinion by the Times he replied, “Real Cockneys don’t have bank accounts or all that palava,” he said. “They put it under the mattress.”

Don’t look for it in the States, unless it becomes popular.  I can almost see Diebold and other manufacturers adding Spangish, Ebonics, or Hip Hip slang to ATMs– until the English only crowd chimes in and complains.