Cockney Rhyming Slang and Medical Terminology

History_of_MedicineA refinement on a subset of UK medical slang [see my treatise on the general topic] is provided in a short communication by authors Anand N. Bosmia, Christoph J. Griessenauer, and R. Shane Tubbs for the International Journal of History and Philosophy of Medicine, Volumes 1-3: 2011-2013. See: Cockney Rhyming Slang and Medical Terminology.

Examples :
Persian Rug – Drug
Wallace and Grommit – Vomit
George Michael – Menstrual cycle.
Elephant’s trunk – Drunk

“Pop culture has influenced the historical development of an informal medical jargon among speakers of Cockney rhyming slang. Cockney-speaking patients are more likely to discuss their health with physicians and other healthcare providers in less ambiguous terms, especially during medical emergencies. However, if slang is used to refer to conditions or behaviors that a patient does not discuss during the formal medical interview, or that a patient may wish to hide for fear of legal ramifications (e.g., drug abuse), healthcare providers would be at an advantage to know the equivalents of important medical terms in Cockney rhyming slang. Attention to such detail would contribute to the medical and social histories of the Cockney-speaking patient.”

BONUS: A hypothetical Cockney discussion; yours to translate using the handy ‘Slang to English’ facility at the online resource : Cockney Rhyming Slang.

Patient: “Doc, I’ve got a Michael Caine in me bacon and eggs, I’m right cream crackered, I reckon I got twist and shout!”

Doctor: “I don’t Adam and Eve it – you’re ‘aving a bubble bath? A bit less Harry Lime up the battle cruiser getting Brahms and Liszt you’d be Calvin Klein!”

Solution here