london.localmean.com/trouble-and-strife
trouble and strife
TRUB-uhl and STRYF · /ˌtrʌb.əl ən ˈstraɪf/
Local meaning
Wife.
A well-known Cockney rhyme whose humour depends on a negative-sounding phrase.
Examples in context
- I’m meeting the trouble and strife after work.
- Ask your trouble if she’s coming.
How it is used
It can be shortened to “trouble”, but the expression is dated and gendered.
Jokey, old-fashioned, sometimes affectionate.
Heritage speech and humour.
Only where the person described is comfortable with it.
It can sound sexist or disrespectful.
Spelling and scope
Traditional Cockney rhyming slang, now mainly heritage or comic usage.
Common search forms stay discoverable without claiming that every London community uses one spelling.
Common patterns
- the trouble and strife
- my trouble
- your trouble
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.