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Tom Foolery... caution for the uninitiated.

Posted by TheFallen on April 19, 2002

In Reply to: Tom Foolery posted by eddie edwards on April 19, 2002

: It is also the Cockney rhyming slang for jewellery. Like most rhyming slang it then gets shortened to Tom

One of those opening statement posts, rather than a question. A word of caution though, for those who might attempt a little Dick Van Dyck if in London. Tomfoolery does indeed mean jewellery, and is often shortened to tom, as in "that's a nice bit of old tom she's got round her neck". However, also shortened to tom is the far less pleasant piece of Cockney rhyming slang, a "tom tit", meaning a bowel movement, except a tad more pithily expressed (excuse the unfortunate phrase). So the moral is, be cautious when in the East End of London.

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