Street
bird lime
What does bird lime mean?
Cockney rhyming slang for time, particularly time served in prison; almost always shortened to 'bird'.
"He's doing bird for that warehouse job."
Origin
'Lime' rhymes with 'time'; 'doing bird' is standard for serving a sentence.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'bird lime' mean?
It's Cockney rhyming slang for 'time', and especially time served in prison — 'lime' rhymes with 'time'.
What does 'doing bird' mean?
'Doing bird' means serving a prison sentence, from the clipped form of 'bird lime'.
Is 'bird lime' a real thing?
Yes — bird lime was a sticky substance historically used to trap birds, and the rhyming slang borrows the phrase for the rhyme with 'time'.
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