Have a butcher's
Meaning
To take a look or have a brief inspection of something.
Origin
Born from the vibrant linguistic landscape of 19th-century East London, "have a butcher's" is a quintessential piece of Cockney Rhyming Slang. The full, original phrase was "butcher's hook," ingeniously crafted to rhyme with "look." Over time, as often happens with this playful linguistic code, the rhyming word, "hook," was dropped, leaving only "butcher's" to carry the meaning. This allowed locals to communicate in a way that often baffled outsiders, all while weaving in the everyday trades and characters that populated their bustling neighbourhoods.
Examples
- I'm just going to have a butcher's at the new car in the showroom.
- Can you have a butcher's at this leaky tap and tell me if it's fixable?