This article describes the importance of the doctor-patient relationship, especially in times of emergencies. Robert Szczerba, a Forbes contributor, describes the dangers if a doctor cannot understand or communicate with a patient, even if they are both speaking English. He describes a scenario where a cockney was rushed to the ER and says , “Doc, wiv dis Billy Ray Cyrus, I can’t stop Wallace and Gromiting and I ‘ave a ‘orrible on and off. Do you ‘ave any Thomas Edison what won’t hurt me strawberry tart or Swanee River?” If the doctor had no knowledge of cockney slang, he would have no idea that the patient was asking for medicine for his virus (keeps vomiting) that won't hurt his heart or liver. To me, this smells like click-bait. I am confident that most people that can speak cockney also can speak normal English. They must know what the slang means for what they're trying to say. This article could be relevant if the patient is very intoxicated and is speaking in straight cockney and not being compliant, but how likely is that to happen in London? Actually, maybe quite a bit. Londoners love their local battle cruiser and never mind a few Britney Spears on a weekday.
Cockney rhyming slang was invented in the 1800's by the crooks of London to evade authorities, being passed down to the commoners or cockneys and then to all of England over the years. This article takes a look at the youth of England and their knowledge of common cockney rhyming terms. A survey conducted by The Atlantic showed that 40% of English respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 did not know that 'Rosie Lee' was Cockney slang for tea but 90% of the respondents older than 45 knew it. Jonathon Green, a London-based lexicographer (a person who compiles dictionaries), was skeptical with the survey results and stated that rhyming slang "certainly isn't dead". I agree with Green due to the fact that cockney is constantly being altered generation-by-generation. The term 'Rosie Lee' was established in the early 1900's so it makes sense that it's popularity has diminished over time. How many of those over 45 year-olds would be able to tell you what it means to have 'Posh n Becks'? The reference to Victoria Beckham and her soccer star husband David is widely used in 2016 to mean sex. Cockney rhyming slang is not dying out, but actually growing into different phrases by the day.
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