To non-
Londoners, anybody from the
capital city of
Great Britain. To
those in the know, anybody who was
born within the sound of
Bow Bells.
Cockney literally means
cock's egg, a misshapen egg such as sometimes
laid by young
hens. Originally used when referring to a
weak townsman,
as opposed to the tougher
countryman, by the
17th Century the term, through
banter and
popular usage, came to mean a Londoner. Today's natives of London, especially its
East End use the term with respect and pride - "
Cockney Pride".
Cockney Rhyming Slang is the dialect of English traditionally spoken by cockneys.
The popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders is set amongst people who could be called Cockneys.
http://www.cockney.co.uk would appear to be a very comprehensive resource for all things appertaining to cockneys.