General
north and south
What does north and south mean?
By extension, talk, cheek, or back-chat coming out of someone's mouth.
"Less of the north and south, son."
Origin
Late-Victorian East End rhyming slang on 'mouth'; the geographical pairing reflects Cockney's fondness for ready-made opposites as rhymes, part of the body-and-speech vocabulary in the London tradition Hotten documented from 1859.
Frequently asked questions
What does north and south mean in Cockney?
It means the mouth. 'South' rhymes with 'mouth'.
Is north and south shortened?
Usually it's kept in full, as in 'shut your north and south', because neither half alone would carry the meaning.
Where did north and south come from?
From Victorian-era East End speech, using the natural opposites 'north' and 'south' to rhyme with 'mouth'.
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