cockney rhyming slang

[marchantino]

does anyone no how it came into being and when.did it serve any particular purpose?(yes,i no if ilooked i could probly find the answer i so desire elsewhere but im too tired.)thnku!

[football]

It started in the London markets as trade jargon. Then in the criminal fraternity. example "Doing the tea-leafing down the frog & toad, up the apples & stairs" Thieving down the street, upstairs.

[marchantino]

thanks football!

[Moog]

How much effort would it have taken to type "origin cockney rhyming slang" into google and click the first link... less than typing thee question I reckon