Visual Rhyming

Elective A: Word and Image Gabriel Soto MA Graphic Branding and Identity London College of Communication University of the Arts London 2011

visual rhyming

A selection of Cockney Rhyming Slang expressions have been translated into simple illustrations in this booklet, to visually explore the odd unexpected connections and the signifier-signified duality.

The expressions have been completely decontextualized from the Cockney aesthetics, in order to focus in the pure relations between words and images.

1

Cockney Rhyming Slang is a form of phrase construction originated in East London during the 19th century, in which words are given an alternate meaning through an association and replacement process that depends on the verbal form and pronunciation of the words (the signifier), and not on its actual meaning (the signified).

2

For example, the word “stairs” rhymes with the expression apples and pears.

The user will omit the rhyming word (pears) and say only the non-rhyming word of the expression (apples).

Therefore a resulting phrase in rhyming slang would be “I’m going up the apples” which stands for “I’m going up the stairs”.

stairs apples and pears apples and pears apples rhymes with

3

6

7

apples and pears 8

stairs 9

12

13

bucket and pail 14

jail 15

18

19

dog and bone 20

phone 21

24

25

bees and honey 26

money 27

30

31

mince pies 32

eyes 33

36

37

whistle and flute 38

suit 39

42

43

bacon and eggs 44

legs 45

48

49

jam jar 50

car 51

54

55

plates of meat 56

feet 57

58

Elective A: Word and Image Gabriel Soto MA Graphic Branding and Identity London College of Communication University of the Arts London 2011