Rhyming Slang
Preserved but no longer current.
A kind of slang in which the word intended was replaced by one that rhymed with it, as "Charley Fresco tt" for waistcoat, "plates of meat" foTfeet. When the rhyme is a compound word the rhyming part is almost invariably dropped, leaving one who does not know somewhat in the dark. Thus Chivy (Chevy) Chase rhymes with "face," by dropping "chase" chivy remains, and becomes the accepted slang word.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Rhyming Slang” mean?
A kind of slang in which the word intended was replaced by one that rhymed with it, as "Charley Fresco tt" for waistcoat, "plates of meat" foTfeet. When the rhyme is a compound word the rhyming part is almost invariably dropped, leaving one who does not know somewhat in the dark. Thus Chivy (Chevy) Chase rhymes with "face," by dropping "chase" chivy remains, and becomes the accepted slang word.
Is “Rhyming Slang” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.