rhyming slang

[froggo]

does anyone know wher the relevance of a watch being called a kettle in cockney rhyming slang?

[Jay_Jay]

'Kettle and hob' = watch and fob. (Source: The Cockney Rhyming Slang Dictionary) http://www.aldertons.com and click on English-Slang.

[froggo]

okay but why apples and pairs obviously pairs rhyme with stairs but what relevance?

[Quizmonkey]

Apples and pears - not pairs! ie. two fruits.

If you're looking for relevance between the phrase and the meaning there rarely is one in rhyming slang.

[Loosehead]

There is no relevance, it's deliberately like that. It's just phrases that rhyme.

Right I'm off up the frog and toad for a clap and cheer in the old rubba dub dub.

[Shadowthief]

And after that he's going home for some jockeys whips then up the apple & pears.

[tomtech]

according to my book " up the frog " 1969 priced at 5 shillings, watch is gordon n gotch.

[Jay_Jay]

"Apples and pears/stairs" may have something to do with the way the fruit were presented in a costermonger's barrow (ie, in a tiered fashion).

"Kettle and hob/ watch and fob" - (another guess) for every kettle there was a hob, and for every watch (pocket-watch), a fob. Or may have something to do with the size of the watches available then.

No doubt, rhyming slang is still evolving.

[froggo]

what about the different terms for money ie:
pony
monkey
jacks etc