London words & sayings
A light-hearted guide to the words, sayings and local lore you'll come across in London, and how (not) to use them on a date.
London words
- Apples and pears
- Cockney rhyming slang for stairs. Rhyming slang replaces a word with a phrase that rhymes with it, and often drops the last word.
- In dating: If someone says they'll meet you at the bottom of the apples, they mean the stairs. It's worth asking before you wait at the wrong place.
- Dog and bone
- Cockney rhyming slang for phone.
- In dating: "Give me a ring on the dog" is a charming way to ask for a phone number, and a good sign the conversation is going well.
- Have a butcher's
- Cockney rhyming slang for have a look, from "butcher's hook".
- In dating: Asking to have a butcher's at someone's holiday photos is an easy way to start a conversation.
- Rosie Lee
- Cockney rhyming slang for tea.
- In dating: Inviting someone for a Rosie is a friendly, low pressure first date idea.
- Innit
- A short form of "isn't it", used at the end of a sentence to invite agreement.
- In dating: It turns up in a lot of friendly Londoners' messages. Take it as a sign of an easy going chat.
- Peng
- Modern London slang for attractive or excellent.
- In dating: If someone calls your profile photo peng, they like it.
- Bare
- Modern London slang for a lot of, or very, as in "bare people".
- In dating: Useful for describing a busy weekend: "There was bare people at the market."
London lore and landmarks
- The Tube
- London's underground railway, with lines running right across the city.
- In dating: Choosing a meeting point near a Tube station makes it easy for both of you to get there and home again. Check for engineering works before you travel.
- Mind the gap
- The announcement on the Tube warning passengers about the space between the train and the platform.
- In dating: It's also a handy line for a first message to someone who's mentioned their commute.
- The Knowledge
- The famously demanding test that London black cab drivers take to learn the city's streets.
- In dating: If your date is a cabbie, ask about it. Expect a good story.
- The South Bank
- The walk along the south side of the Thames, past the Southbank Centre, the National Theatre, Tate Modern and Borough Market.
- In dating: A stroll along the South Bank, with a coffee on the way, is one of the easiest first dates in London.
- The Square Mile
- The City of London, the historic heart of the capital and its financial centre, covering about a square mile.
- In dating: It's quiet at weekends, so if you're meeting here for a date, check what's open.
- Pie and mash
- A traditional London dish of a meat pie with mashed potato and a green parsley sauce called liquor, served in old fashioned pie and mash shops.
- In dating: Sharing a plate of pie and mash is a friendly, no frills date. Expect strong opinions about the liquor.
- Jellied eels
- A traditional East End dish of eels set in jelly, often served with pie and mash.
- In dating: It's an acquired taste. Offer it to a date as a dare, not a dinner.
- Oyster card
- The reusable card that Londoners use to pay for travel on the Tube, buses and trains. Most people now simply tap a contactless bank card or phone.
- In dating: If you're meeting someone who's visiting, a tip about tapping in and out will go down well.
Words change from one part of London to the next, and what you hear in Bermondsey isn't always what you hear in Barnet. Got a favourite we've missed? Tell us when you join.
Don't be shy. Go and meet someone.
Put a few of these to use with singles who'll know exactly what you mean.