General
ruby murray
What does ruby murray mean?
A curry, the takeaway kind. 'Ruby Murray' rhymes with 'curry' and shortens to 'a ruby'.
"Fancy a ruby tonight? I'm thinking a vindaloo."
Origin
Named after Ruby Murray, a hugely popular 1950s Irish singer whose name rhymes with 'curry'. The slang spread through Britain alongside the post-war boom in Indian restaurants.
Frequently asked questions
What does ruby mean in British slang?
It means a curry. It's short for 'Ruby Murray', Cockney rhyming slang named after the 1950s singer, which rhymes with 'curry'.
Who was Ruby Murray?
She was a chart-topping Irish singer in the 1950s whose name became rhyming slang for curry because it rhymes.
What does 'going for a ruby' mean?
It means going out for or ordering an Indian curry, usually a takeaway, in British slang.
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