Why Do They Call It a Raspberry?

Cockneys in London, England developed a complex language called rhyming slang.

Rhyming slang is a code, intended to keep outsiders from understanding what was said. Some say it came from the Cockney underworld, and others that it started with "Barrow Boys" - merchants who kept stalls in the market.

It goes like this:

Replace the word by a phrase that rhymes with it. For instance, say "loaf of bread" to mean "head." Say "frog and toad" to mean "road."

If that's not bad enough, then drop the word that actually rhymes, leaving the rest of the phrase. Now "loaf" means "head," as in "Use your loaf, mate!" Or, "I was driving down the frog."

"Raspberry" comes from the phrase "raspberry tart." You figure out the rest.

You can make this stuff up, but real rhyming slang is very specific. "Loaf of bread" means "head," not "bed." That's "Uncle Ned," as in "I was Uncle Dick in Uncle Ned."

Some people collect rhyming slang, such as the actor Michael Caine. Alfred Hitchcock is reputed to have made the largest collection ever.