london.localmean.com/apples-and-pears
apples and pears
AP-uhlz and PAIRZ · /ˌæp.əlz ən ˈpeəz/
Local meaning
Stairs.
A classic Cockney rhyming-slang phrase, sometimes shortened to “apples”.
Examples in context
- I left it at the top of the apples and pears.
- Go up the apples and turn left.
How it is used
Today it is often heritage or playful language rather than routine speech for all Londoners.
Playful, nostalgic, coded.
Heritage talk, humour, performance, or family usage.
People who know the reference.
Do not present it as everyday speech of every Londoner.
Spelling and scope
Traditional Cockney rhyming slang associated with working-class East London.
Common search forms stay discoverable without claiming that every London community uses one spelling.
Common patterns
- up the apples
- apples and pears
- down the apples
Read next
All words →Evidence and further reading
Sources support the definition, history, or usage layer. Local review remains welcome.
- Talking Cockney: London’s original dialectLondon Museum
London history, rhyming-slang method, changing usage, and examples.
- Who are the Cockneys?London Museum
Context for Cockney identity and East End history.