Summary
Overview
A lively episode featuring lexicographer Susie Dent, covering the origins of the phrase 'on your Todd,' how your best friend's mother influences your intelligence, the Great Vowel Shift that changed how English was pronounced, and Charles Dickens' performances that functioned as audiobooks. The conversation weaves through language evolution, intelligence testing, rhyming slang, and Victorian reading culture with characteristic wit and fascinating historical details.
The Original Todd: Jockey James Forman Sloan
The phrase 'on your Todd' comes from legendary jockey Todd Sloan, who died alone despite once being a celebrated socialite. He revolutionized horse racing with the monkey crouch position, opened the famous Harry's Bar in Paris, and appeared in early Hollywood films. His nickname Todd came from his father cruelly calling him 'Toad' due to his small stature, which became the foundation for the rhyming slang 'on your Todd Sloan' meaning alone.
- Todd Sloan was nicknamed 'Toad' by his father for being extremely small, which later became 'Todd'
- He pioneered the monkey crouch riding position that is standard in horse racing today
- Sloan opened a bar in France that became the famous Harry's Bar visited by Hemingway and James Bond
- He was accused of insider betting and effectively cancelled, later dying alone from cirrhosis
" The original Todd in the phrase, on your Todd, died on his Todd. "
" I think humans have been doing it for 8,000 years. I think I can improve it. "
Rhyming Slang and Professional Jargon
The discussion explores the murky origins of rhyming slang, likely coming from London costermongers rather than thieves. Susie Dent shares insights from her research on modern professional slang used by butchers, paramedics, and other groups. The conversation touches on famous eponyms like Gordon Bennett and the prevalence of coded language across different professions, with butchers still using backward slang today.
- Rhyming slang likely originated with costermongers selling apples, not thieves trying to evade police
- Butchers still use deliberate shorthand and say words backwards as tribal language
- Paramedics use the acronym 'there we are then' when being told off by bosses
- Bob's your uncle comes from Robert Balfour giving his unqualified nephew a government job
" It's quite murky. The best theory that I know is that actually it originated amongst the Costamongers of London who sold costards, which were these sort of sour apples. "
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