# Cockney Rhyming Slang in The Great Escape: What the heck is Mac saying? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockney-rhyming-slang-in-the-great-escape-what-the-heck-is-mac-saying/944201 "2021-06-14T00:21:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockney-rhyming-slang-in-the-great-escape-what-the-heck-is-mac-saying/944201/1 "2021-06-14T00:21:40Z")
Forth of July scene, just before Tom (the tunnel) is found. Mac says something in what I assume is Cockney Rhyming Slang, but they take it a step further and I assume he messes up the first go because of the Moonshine, and he repeats himself “correctly” but I’ll be damned it I can figure out what he’s getting at. “Collin Ives”?? What does this mean? I know The Dope can answer this in probably 40 seconds. What is Mac saying? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockney-rhyming-slang-in-the-great-escape-what-the-heck-is-mac-saying/944201/2 "2021-06-14T00:30:47Z")
I assume you mean this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yy0q2lAggHI/maxresdefault.jpg "The Great Escape - 4th of July") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy0q2lAggHI) Not Cockney. They are commenting on how amazing the liquor is. Subsequent to that, it’s a poorly acted drunk speak joke. “With your permission sir, I think I’ll [all on Kive]. Er, call on Ives.” ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockney-rhyming-slang-in-the-great-escape-what-the-heck-is-mac-saying/944201/3 "2021-06-14T00:31:21Z")
He’s saying “I think I’ll call on Ives.” Ives is one of the other characters. This has nothing to do with Cockney rhyming slang and a Scotsman wouldn’t be using CRS anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockney-rhyming-slang-in-the-great-escape-what-the-heck-is-mac-saying/944201/4 "2021-06-14T01:40:00Z")
Ives (Lennie Angus), Of course. This has haunted me for decades. Yes, they dance in the next scene, don’t they? I knew you would set me straight. I’ll watch it again tonight. Nothing else on… ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockney-rhyming-slang-in-the-great-escape-what-the-heck-is-mac-saying/944201/5 "2021-06-14T01:42:36Z")
I always thought it was something about getting back in line for more Moonshine, since he seemed to like it so much. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockney-rhyming-slang-in-the-great-escape-what-the-heck-is-mac-saying/944201/6 "2021-06-14T01:52:06Z")
This can be closed now ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockney-rhyming-slang-in-the-great-escape-what-the-heck-is-mac-saying/944201/7 "2021-06-14T02:10:35Z")
Wasn’t it a few moments before that he said to someone (maybe Hilts or Roger) “Ives is close to cracking, you know”? I expect he was just going to give him some words of encouragement. I just saw the movie for the umpteenth time over Memorial Day Weekend. I wish I could remember that part of the scene better. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockney-rhyming-slang-in-the-great-escape-what-the-heck-is-mac-saying/944201/8 "2021-06-14T03:05:23Z")
Yeah, the whole thing is such a ‘Woosh’ now, that I can’t believe I didn’t catch it before. I always thought is was something about him going back for more Hooch. Like ‘Get in Line’ or ‘Go back for more’. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cockney-rhyming-slang-in-the-great-escape-what-the-heck-is-mac-saying/944201/9 "2021-06-14T03:22:16Z")
Mac’s a Scot though, right? It’s a bit of a jab at Scottish drinking habits, that he takes it in stride, but then he’s a little more shook up than he thought, hence the slip of the tongue, ‘think I’ll ollon cives, er, call on Ives.’