Weird phrase

[prunesRplums]

Where does the phrase 'I should coco?' come from & what exactly does it mean???

[heathfield]

Cockney rhyming slang for "I should say so!"
Some rhyming slang doesn't make use of the divorced word convention, (as in 'apples' = 'stairs' because of the 'apples and pears' connection).

[maxximus]

so "how do you like them apples" translates to stairs? don't know that i follow?

[jno]

no, 'how do you like them apples' is American. Nothing to do with pears or stairs. I imagine a street trader asking what you think of his produce; but that's just a guess.

[heathfield]

Quite right, Jno, - not just street traders and their apples though, it applies to almost anything

[maxximus]

yes, didn't think so, thanks. cockney is another animal for me, so i think i'll just paddle on and try not to confuse myself. cheers!

[bitslimited]

It's actually "I should cocoa" and originates from Tony Hancock's radio sidekick Sid James (who wasn't a cockney - he was a South African). Cocoa was a popular drink among the working class East Londoners and it's just a case of replacing two syllables with something everyone is (or was) familiar with.