English Term Of The Day

Check out who they list as being 'mockney' at the bottom:

'Mockney'

In British English, the term mockney (a Portmanteau of "mock" and "cockney") has come to be used, predominantly in the media, to describe those who present themselves as cockneys (or, by extension, other working-class groups) with the intention of gaining popular credibility. A stereotypical mockney comes from a middle or upper-middle class background in England's Home Counties.

The mockney speaks, or attempts to speak, in the working-class London accent popularly known as "cockney" (although spoken by many who are not cockneys at all) and often referred to as estuary English.

It is an affectation sometimes adopted for aesthetic purposes, other times just to sound "cool" or in attempt to generate street credibility. The phenomenon was first named in the mid-1990s and was made famous in describing Britpop bands such as Blur and, on occasions, politicians such as Tony Blair. Mick Jagger is often accused of having been the first celebrity in modern times to overplay his regional accent in order to boost his street credibility ("street cred"). Another highly influential rock act, The Kinks, are also pointed as a mockney band.

Other celebrities who are, or have been accused of being mockneys include:

* Guy Ritchie
* Chef Jamie Oliver, born and lived in a small village in Essex - however his accent is typical of the area.
* Actor Jude Law.
* Madonna born, raised and educated in Michigan, USA.