Right old two and eight!

[Hellyon]

Where did it originate and what exactly does it mean?

[Stephen_G]

It's cockney rhyming slang for a mess - saying eight more like ate

[jackthehat]

A right old two and eight - 'State'.

[Pottsy]

Judge is right, it's rhyming slang for state.

[Postdog]

And just to add, the 2 & 8 PROBABLY referers to old pre decimal currency, of two shillings and eight pennies.

[Hellyon]

Thanks guys

[Wop/tpo]

Postdog:
Pre-decimal coin was the halfcrown= two and six=
30 pence

[sidkid]

Two shillings and eight pennies was simply an amount of money - nothing to do with half crowns!!
Also a collection of 30 coins would have been referred to as pennies not pence......

[Wop/tpo]

The half crown was also called two and sixpence ( not
pennies), also thirty pence not pennies. Old enough
to have used this coinage for many years.

[Postdog]

Wop, shame you never learned to read then, as no-one mentioned half a crown. I was referring - as sidkid tried to point out (ta) to pre decimal currency, not coinage.

[Wop/tpo]

Been waiting for someone to read your comment to me.
Politeness is a virtue, postdog.

[Badger52]

'I was in a right two and eight' - 'I was in a right state'

[Badger52]

'I was in a right two and eight' - 'I was in a right state'