Space Cockney/Creole/Patois

[rgoodbb]

I’m lucky enough to be playing in a Stars Without Number game in a few weeks’ time. I am trying to create a character whose ancient history is from London or who is trying to resurrect or replicate their version of slang from it. Basically I would like your ideas for a space slang. I know the Belter Creole/Patois from Expanse is a good place to look but creating something original would be great. I don’t need a whole language, just maybe a dozen words and phrases to get the feels. It can be rhyming slang or not. Appreciate any thoughts. But also some thoughts of speech and language specialists as well.



Some words/phrases I might need to find are alternatives for:

Swear Word 1

Swear Word 2

Money

Police

Weapons

Steal

Bad Juju (luck)

Hide

Sleep

Food & Drink

The coast is clear

Don’t mess with me

Very (added to other words)

Hello

Goodbye

Friend/Buddy/Mate

Sweet/Great/Nice/Top Doller/Excellent!

We are in deep s*^t

Millitary/Army

And…Anything else you might think useful.



Many thanks for your time.

 

[Fenris-77]

There are a whole whack of cockney slang PDFs available online. I'd do that. Plus some YouTube vids for pronunciation and flare.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There are a whole whack of cockney slang PDFs available online. I'd do that. Plus some YouTube vids for pronunciation and flare.

I’d start there, then see what- if any of it- has echoes in mainstream Sci-Fi. That won’t necessarily be easy.

So for instance, theres a LOT of cockney slang for “money”, some linked to amounts, some to particular denominations.

The enduring Cockney rhyming slang for money — Roman Road LDN

When put to the people, what Cockney rhyming slang for money endures in the East End of London?

romanroadlondon.com

Cockney Rhyming Slang for Money from Score to Pony to Monkey

We've crowdsourced every single cockney slang for money and listed them all in this giant collection of London money slang.

cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk

But most Sci-Fi uses generic terms for money like “credits” (cr), ”eCash” (eC) or the like. So I’d think that space cockney (Spockney?) would primarily link to denominations as well.

That said, if you pronounce eC like the way “heck” is depicted as being said in cockney (‘eck), you could have fun with people giving, spending or borrowing ‘ecks. Enough ‘ecks could be a “damn”, ooooooor some such. “Frankly, my dear, I don‘t give a damn.” suddenly has a completely different meaning in spockney.

Additionally, I could also see there being slang terms linked to amounts paid for certain common goods or services. Soooo…let’s say a “blaster” costs 100cr. Spockney rhyming slang for 100cr could be “Casper”, for instance, which could evolve further into “The Friendly Ghost”. The price for docking your starship at a space station could be anything ending in “-ocking“. A meal from a replicator becomes “hot potato”.

 

[Haiku Elvis]

Cockney Star Trek


'Nuff said.

 

[Umbran]

I’d start there, then see what- if any of it- has echoes in mainstream Sci-Fi. That won’t necessarily be easy.

So for instance, theres a LOT of cockney slang for “money”, some linked to amounts, some to particular denominations.

We should note that Cockney rhyming slang seems cool, but is not how most slang works, and I don't just mean in its rhyming form. I mean the dynamics of use is different from most other slang forms. It isn't just the vocabulary of a sub-culture. It actively works to obscure meaning from those who aren't active members of the culture, and it plays a role as a sort of language game for its users.

Rhyming slangs are typically rapidly changing, as users find new rhyming references, and they spread (and don't spread) beyond their originators. If one doesn't stay embedded in the community, one rapidly loses track of the references being used, and falls out of ability to use the slang intelligibly. Once the community gets too large, it ceases to be able to maintain a rhyming slang, as referents fail to propagate over the entire community, and that leads to fragmentation.

For a modern reference, we see similar dynamics in rap and hip-hop music, language, and dance styles, leading to regional variations.

 

[rgoodbb]

Thanks to everyone who posted. As I mentioned in my origional post, I'm not glued to rhyming slang per se but any slang or new phrases that might show a variation of English. Just a few choice words and phrases will be enough to catch an essence for a PC.

 

[aco175]

If the character is trying to resurrect history, then having some things not quite right would fit and be a bit funny to the other players. Instead of saying S#!T, you say FECES or SCAT which is technically correct, but off.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

This is different than what you're suggesting, but I'd consider taking a page from Firefly and imagine future London has a much more diverse sets of languages in use and, much like Spanish in California, pretty much everyone in London knows and uses some words of (take your pick) Polish, Romanian, Panjabi or Urdu.

 

[bloodtide]

Well....lets see for my "London" Han Solo type Character:

I'm going to grab a bunch of UK words and put "space", "star" or other such words mixed in.

So...I take the UK word "Rubbish!" and make it "Rocket Rubbish!"

I will call the rear storage compartment on a space ship the "Star Boot".

I will call any 'flashlight' a "Star Torch"

Money...well "Star Bucks" is a bit American. Maybe "Pulsar Pounds"? "Star Shillings"? "Starlings"?

Steal black hole

Bad Juju (luck) Wrong Orbit

Hide "Shadow of the moon" "Moon Shadow" "Dark Orbit"

Sleep "star out"

Food & Drink "Moon Fuel"

The coast is clear "go for burn!" "The stars are out"

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

We should note that Cockney rhyming slang seems cool, but is not how most slang works, and I don't just mean in its rhyming form. I mean the dynamics of use is different from most other slang forms. It isn't just the vocabulary of a sub-culture. It actively works to obscure meaning from those who aren't active members of the culture, and it plays a role as a sort of language game for its users.

Rhyming slangs are typically rapidly changing, as users find new rhyming references, and they spread (and don't spread) beyond their originators. If one doesn't stay embedded in the community, one rapidly loses track of the references being used, and falls out of ability to use the slang intelligibly. Once the community gets too large, it ceases to be able to maintain a rhyming slang, as referents fail to propagate over the entire community, and that leads to fragmentation.

Those links I posted made that ABUNDANTLY clear! That’s why I did the thing with eCs becoming “‘ecks“ and bigger sums becoming “damns”.

They pointed out a £5 note might be called a “fiver”, which became “Lady Godiva”. Then they pointed out asking for £15 was a “Commodore”, because of The Commodores’ famous song, “Once, Twice, Three Times A Lady”- IOW, 3 Lady Godivas.

For a modern reference, we see similar dynamics in rap and hip-hop music, language, and dance styles, leading to regional variations.

Picard, his eyes opened!

I hadn’t bought of that, but this is extremely accurate. There’s all kinds of modern rap slang that references/evolves from earlier rap slang. If you don’t know the prior slang, the current stuff is much harder to divine from mere context.

And that wordplay is also found in the aliases artists choose for themselves or have been bestowed on them by others.