a native of London, esp of the East End of London; traditionally somebody born within the sound of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow
the dialect of London, esp the East End of London
If it were not for talking cockney, we might call him a ‘regular swell’ — Poe
cockney adj
cockneyism noun
[Middle English cokeney pampered child, (effeminate) townsman, literally ‘cocks’ egg’, from cok cock1 + ey egg, from Old English ǣg; from the belief that small misshapen eggs were laid by cocks]