"Put up your dukes"

[LionelEdwards]

I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.

"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
1980s-90s classic:

[Bertel Lund Hansen]

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.

What is the rhyme?

[LionelEdwards]

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.

What is the rhyme?

Good question. There is no obvious answer, but the
consensus seems to be that it comes from "fork", a
humorous reference to the hand?

The Cockney dialect must draw heavily on Jewish
vernacular, so let's leave the last word to Gus Elen:
"My language gets as yokel as can be".

[jerryfriedman]

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.

What is the rhyme?

The version I read was dukes < Duke of Yorks < forks
< fingers < hands.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Ross Clark]

Post by jerryfriedman

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.

What is the rhyme?

The version I read was dukes < Duke of Yorks < forks
< fingers < hands.
--
Jerry Friedman

This seems to be pretty well supported by Green's citations:

- fork(s) = fingers, hand(s) from 1812

and as a verb for various hand-actions, such as picking pockets (more
than a century earlier!); and I suddenly see an origin for expressions
like "fork out" and "fork over" which I've known most of my life.

- duke(s) = hand(s) from 1859, fist(s) from 1885

and as a verb for various hand-actions: first shaking hands (1865-),
later fist-fighting, and just handing something over (1920s).

The reason this is a bit surprising is, first, that it's rhyming slang
whose rhyme is a slang word rather than a standard word; and that the
"duke" part seems to be of UK origin, though far better documented in
the US.

[jerryfriedman]

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

It was everyday U.S. schoolboy slang by the late
1960s. Probably from some cartoon or other.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

Quote: "Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.

Is it?
Really???

Do you have any particular school in mind?

[LionelEdwards]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

Quote: "Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
Is it?
Really???
Do you have any particular school in mind?

A school where pupils are encouraged to read
dictionaries?

"Instead of telling someone to "put up your forks," you
might say "put up your dukes of York!" Eventually, this
was shortened to "put up your dukes."

<https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/put-up-your-dukes-meaning-origin>

[LionelEdwards]

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

Quote: "Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
Is it?
Really???
Do you have any particular school in mind?

A school where pupils are encouraged to read
dictionaries?
"Instead of telling someone to "put up your forks," you
might say "put up your dukes of York!" Eventually, this
was shortened to "put up your dukes."
<https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/put-up-your-dukes-meaning-origin>

Pronounced "dooks". Gene Hackman's "duck" didn't survive him:

[Phil]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

Quote: "Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
Is it?
Really???
Do you have any particular school in mind?

Maybe Greyfriars?

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Phil

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

Quote: "Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
Is it?
Really???
Do you have any particular school in mind?

Maybe Greyfriars?

Sound like the most likely bet.

[LionelEdwards]

Post by Phil

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

Quote: "Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
Is it?
Really???
Do you have any particular school in mind?

Maybe Greyfriars?

St Custards. If you can't understand that you must
ne a goody-goody, a wet and a weed, with curly blond
locks and prone to skip around the school girlishly
saying "Hullo clouds, hullo sky".

[Chris Elvidge]

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by Phil

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

Quote: "Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
Is it?
Really???
Do you have any particular school in mind?

Maybe Greyfriars?

St Custards. If you can't understand that you must
ne a goody-goody, a wet and a weed, with curly blond
locks and prone to skip around the school girlishly
saying "Hullo clouds, hullo sky".

And a girly swot.

[Phil]

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by Phil

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

Quote: "Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
Is it?
Really???
Do you have any particular school in mind?

Maybe Greyfriars?

St Custards. If you can't understand that you must
ne a goody-goody, a wet and a weed, with curly blond
locks and prone to skip around the school girlishly
saying "Hullo clouds, hullo sky".

I'm pretty sure Nigel, Peason, Mogley-Howard I, nor any of that lot used
the expression. Not even Grabber, even tho as head of everything he was
doubtless also boxing champion chiz chiz.

[LionelEdwards]

Post by Phil

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by Phil

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

Quote: "Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
Is it?
Really???
Do you have any particular school in mind?

Maybe Greyfriars?

St Custards. If you can't understand that you must
ne a goody-goody, a wet and a weed, with curly blond
locks and prone to skip around the school girlishly
saying "Hullo clouds, hullo sky".

I'm pretty sure Nigel, Peason, Mogley-Howard I, nor any of
that lot used the expression...

You have an interesting sentence structure there:

[A] nor [B] verb [C].

It is good English but few people can remember why.

1) A primary school hymn.
2) A Romantic poem.

[LionelEdwards]

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by Phil

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by Phil

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LionelEdwards
I was surprised to find dukes (fists) making its
way across the Atlantic. I'd have guessed, maybe from
the Marquess of Queensberry? Or some other lordly
association? But no, it turns out to be out-and-out
Cockney rhyming slang.
"Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
An unlikely American connection comes from this
http://youtu.be/uPbPwZNghU0

Quote: "Put up your dukes" is everyday UK schoolboy slang.
Is it?
Really???
Do you have any particular school in mind?

Maybe Greyfriars?

St Custards. If you can't understand that you must
ne a goody-goody, a wet and a weed, with curly blond
locks and prone to skip around the school girlishly
saying "Hullo clouds, hullo sky".

I'm pretty sure Nigel, Peason, Mogley-Howard I, nor any of
that lot used the expression...

[A] nor [B] verb [C].
It is good English but few people can remember why.
1) A primary school hymn.

Hobgoblin nor foul fiend can daunt his spirit.

Post by LionelEdwards
2) A Romantic poem.

Water water everywhere nor any drop to drink.