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London slang is a mixture of words and phrases from around the globe. It reflects the diverse...

London slang is a mixture of words and phrases from around the globe. It reflects the diverse ethnic and cultural makeup of the city's population. Because London occupies such a dominant economic position in the United Kingdom, slang originally unique to the city has spread across the UK. Conversely, slang from outside London has migrated in along with people seeking work in the capital. Cockney rhyming slang is probably the best known form of London slang. Slang can infiltrate most any element of daily life. Take, for example, money. Much of the London slang about money is believed to have been imported from India by returning servicemen during the nineteenth century. The terms monkey, meaning £500, and pony, meaning £25, are believed to have come from the old Indian rupee banknotes, which used to feature images of those animals. Another money slang word, nicker, which means £1, is thought to be connected to the American nickel. Wonga, which describes an unspecified amount of money, may come from the Romany word for coal, wanger. In 2005, Professor Sue Fox from Queen Mary, University of London concluded that Cockney rhyming slang was dying out because children in London are being