DISABILITY RHYMING SLANG
(Courtesy of some raspberry friends)

This rhyming slang at first seems Politically Incorrect, but is used by some of my friends to describe their disabilities. I was originally shocked at disability slang, now I'm sharing it with disabled persons outside of the UK. This (incomplete) list is from Britain where Cockney Rhyming Slang originated. The slang varies from region to region. It has been used in some very funny sketches by disabled persons' theatre groups (see script at foot of page).

Canary wharf - dwarf
Cardinal Wolsey - cerebral palsy
Eagle and hind - blind [eagle and hind is a common British pub sign]
Mutton Jeff - deaf [from old Cockney Rhyming Slang]
Raspberry ripple - cripple
Road cone - motor neurone (disease)
Rubber and plastic - spastic (i.e. cerebral palsy)
Strawberry roan - motor neurone (diease)
Thomas the Rhymer - alzheimer (disease)
Tulips and roses - multiple sclerosis
Vitus Geralitis - arthritis

For a while I was a raspberry following a fall; one of my friends describes herself as a raspberry tulip and another calls herself a raspberry vitus. One of the sketches I saw was obviously hilarious to those "in the know" but totally incomprehensible to "outsiders" until the someone explained it. Then they asked if we were shocked by it! The one I remember is "Two Raspberries in the Pub" which went along these lines:

A: Hi! Didn't expect to see you here. How are you?
B: [cheerfully] Raspberry, still raspberry.
A: How's your sister these days?
B: Rubber.
A: Your mum? How's she keeping lately?
B: Thomas, mutton and vitus these days.
A: Sorry to hear that. What's this new boyfriend of yours like then?
B: Canary tulips.

You get the idea.

DRAGONQUEEN'S LAIR

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