Multilingual Rhyming Slang

[Jan Ivarsson TransEdit]

In French there is something called "contrepèterie" (the word is known since 1582):
"Interversion des lettres ou des syllabes d'un ensemble de mots spécialement choisis, afin d'en obtenir d'autres dont l'assemblage ait également un sens, de préférence burlesque ou grivois. Ex.: Femme folle à la messe (Rabelais, 1532) pour femme molle à la fesse."
This definition (from Petit Robert, Dictionnaire...) seems to me to correspond very well with the definition of Rhyming Slang.
If you want to pursue the thread, I can recommend a very amusing book: Joël Martin, Manuel de contrepet. L'art de déCaler les Sons (Albin Michel, 1986)
The over 2000 contrepéteries in its 328 pages will teach you how to "déssaler les cons".

Jan Ivarsson

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathon Green" <slang at BLUEYONDER.CO.UK>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 4:17 PM
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] Multilingual Rhyming Slang


> > >- rhyming slang seems to have been, and remains an English language
> > >phenomenon.
> >
> > I don't see how we can make such a generalization without near-native
> > argotic knowledge of the languages we're excluding here.  Wordplay and
> > fun with rhyming are a part of language, not a part of English.
> >
> > Just seems a bit myopic.
> >
>
> As the initiator of the generalization, I take the point. And any examples
> from other slangs to back it up would be received with much interest. Of
> course every language lends itself to play, rhyming often being part of it,
> but I would still suggest that rhyming slang, as a fully realised system,
> does seem to be an English language creation. I don't believe, for instance,
> that French, with an extensive argot (as in = slang) of its own, appears to
> offer any such subset. But I'd be happy to be proved wrong.
>
> Jonathon Green
>