Interesting how Indian food has got to the heart of British life, and vereyday speech.

I heard about two new rhyming slang expressions on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday:

chicken jalfrezi (cray)

Ruby Murray (curry)

as in 'If I don't get a Ruby Murray soon, I'll go completely chicken jalfrezi'

Not sure I spelled that surname right, since I have no idea who Ruby Murr(a)y might be.

Phil

I'm Scottish, so 'Murray' rhymes with 'curry'.

But 'Ruby' doesn't rhyme with 'curry' anywhere.

Beats me!

Just checked the Longman pronpuncing disctionary: 'Murray' does indeed rhyme with 'curry' in Received Pronunciation and General American

Phil

If Murray rhymes with curry, then it makes sense, doesn't it?

In one of my early jobs in UK, I worked in some maternity hospital in Hackney, I think it was called Mother's Hospital. Our digs cleaner was a cockney lady and whatever she said to us, was mostly lost on me, I had no idea what she was talking about most of the time!

My French friends don't understanf Eastenders. When my Francophone wife first came to stay in Northumberland, she had no idea what the Geordies were saying. I have difficulty with tradesmen here in the South of France because they speak Midi French.

The reason why a curry can be referred to as a a Ruby is that the rhyming part of a rhyming slang term can be lost.

For example: Barnet Fair was Cockney rhyming slang for 'hair'. It's now just 'Barnet', as in 'Get yer barnet cut!'

So: 'Let's have a Ruby' (Murray) = 'Let's have a curry'.

Phil

"The reason why a curry can be referred to as a a Ruby is that the rhyming part of a rhyming slang term can be lost."

Now I understand! Thank you for explaining that :-).

You're welcome, Mamta!