AustLit

'It's much more fun to say "What's the John Dory?" instead of "What's the story?" and "Give me a Captain Cook" instead of "Give me a look", and wonderfully cheeky to remark "Who made the apple tart?" instead of "Who made a fart?"

'But there is also a darker side to rhyming slang - it can be used like a secret code (perhaps that's why criminals have always been fond of it!). Since colonial days, Australians have used rhyming slang with great style. And as the addition of Britney Spears (beers) goes to show, rhyming slang is still very much alive.

'In Dog's Eye and Dead Horse, Graham Seal shares his long-held fascination with this aspect of everyday language.' (From the publisher's website.)