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Cockney Quotes

An accent, softened but not lost

These cockney quotes trace an accent's journey, from thick East London Dialects to the softened tones actors adopt for drama school.

I just wanted to be an ordinary, middle-class person. When I was at Cambridge, I made great efforts to lose the last remnants of my Cockney accent.

Quotes by Peter Ackroyd

I'm every bourgeois nightmare - a Cockney with intelligence and a million dollars.

Quotes by Michael Caine

It was great to play an ex-marine cockney thug. All my roles are as different as the colours of the rainbow.

Quotes by Luke Treadaway

I actually had a cockney accent before I went to drama school. It's softened up a bit.

Quotes by Gemma Arterton

Able Quotes

The Crafty Cockney had a picture of the owner dressed up as a copper, so I brought it home, wore it on TV and the name just stuck.

Quotes by Eric Bristow

I was able to make up lots of portementos, literally hundreds and hundreds of words... See, I find that mine don't have any meanings. They're not proper. Although I've got a great dictionary of them. It's like the Cockney rhyming...

Quotes by Elizabeth Fraser

Somebody sent me a British magazine listing the 20 worst dialects ever done in movies. I was No. 2, with the worst Cockney accent ever done. No. 1 was Sean Connery, because he uses his Scottish brogue no matter what...

Quotes by Dick Van Dyke

My parents went through the dictionary looking for a beautiful name, nearly called me Banyan, flicked on a few pages and came to China, which is cockney rhyming slang for mate.

Quotes by China Mieville

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'cockney' refer to in these quotes?
It refers to a working-class East London accent and identity, discussed here both as a personal trait and as an acting skill.
Did any speaker deliberately lose their cockney accent?
Yes, one recalls making great efforts to lose the last remnants of a Cockney accent while at Cambridge, aiming for a more neutral, middle-class voice.
Is cockney linked to acting roles here?
Yes, one actor describes playing an ex-marine cockney thug as one of many varied roles as different as colors of the rainbow.
Has anyone's cockney accent changed since drama school?
Yes, one speaker says their natural cockney accent softened up somewhat Before and after training.
Why do people search for cockney quotes?
The accent carries strong cultural associations, and these quotes show real tension between embracing it and adapting it for career reasons.

One actor recalls losing the last traces of Cockney speech Before arriving at Cambridge, trading it for a more neutral voice.