General
plates of meat
What does plates of meat mean?
By extension, used of footsteps or where one is standing.
"I've been on my plates of meat all day at work."
Origin
Victorian East End rhyming slang on 'feet'; 'plates of meat' appears in nineteenth-century rhyming-slang collections and is among the best-documented body-part rhymes in the London tradition Hotten began recording in 1859.
Frequently asked questions
What does plates of meat mean?
It's Cockney rhyming slang for feet. 'Meat' rhymes with 'feet', shortened to 'plates'.
Where did plates of meat come from?
From Victorian-era East End speech; it's one of the oldest and best-recorded rhyming-slang terms for feet.
Is plates of meat still used?
Yes, 'plates' for feet survives well and is widely recognised even outside London.
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