Cockney Slang

[whiskeryron]

I've been watching some of the old minder series & the term ''gaf'' has been used several times, I know that it refers to house or home but I would like to know the origin of the word, I have an on line dictionary of cockney slang but cannot find the word ''gaf'' anywhere, can anyone help please.

[Curly13]

I just did a quick search on google and found this.......

gaff - slang for house or place. e.g. "I'll meet you round my gaff in 10 minutes" and "He was all over the gaff" (all over the place). Originates from the 19th century when a 'gaff' was a slang term for a fairground or place of cheap entertainment.

[Octavius]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_gaff

[fredpuli47]

'Gaff ' was originally a colloquial term for a fair (recorded 1753) thence it became the word for any place of public entertainment (1812) and then the cheap music hall or theatre sometimes called a penny gaff.With a wry sense of humour, Londoners started to compare a pub with a cheap entertainment upstairs with any particular building and specifically a house.[recorded from 1932]

Curiously, Londoners who still use 'gaff' always seem to say say 'the gaff' not ' a gaff'.Can't think I've ever heard it used otherwise than when referring to an address or building which had been mentioned already or the identity of which was already understood by the hearer. Burglars don't say 'I went out and blew [that would be a very old burglar!] / did a gaff' but will say 'Y'know that red warehouse, well, Tommy only went and did the gaff!

[Octavius]

We used to say 'my gaff'.

[whiskeryron]

Thanx all,that's great,I tried all ways of tracing it (I Googled it Curley13 but didn't get anywhere, maybe I typed the wrong phrase in).Ron.