Butter Boys To Kipper Season: Our Guide To Cabbie Slang

Overhearing a conversation between people in the same industry can be confusing because of all the slang. The taxi trade is no different. Over the years cabbies have developed their own unique language to talk about the job. 

Below we’ll take a look at some of the most common pieces of cabbie slang. 

A Churchill 

A Churchill simply means ‘a meal’. This is because then Home Secretary, Winston Churchill, gave Black Cab drivers the right to refuse a fare if they were eating a meal.  

Kipper Season 

Kipper season refers to January when most of the fares have dried up after Christmas. Some suggest that ‘Kipper’ stems from the fact that kippers are a cheap meal during tough times. 

Copper bottom   

This is a term use to describe cabbies who have been working particularly long hours. During Kipper Season many cabbies end up as copper bottom’s as they spend more time behind the wheel searching for fares. 

Be Lucky 

This phrase is a commonly used when two cabbies part ways. It’s thought that this is a reference to how often luck can dictate success in the trade. 

Butter Boy/Girl 

Probably the most well-known piece of cabbie slang. A butter boy/girl is a newly licenced cabbie. There are two schools of thought for where this comes from. 

Some believe it references the fact that new cabbies are taking the ‘bread and butter’ work from existing drivers. Others think it relates to the age of new cabbies i.e., “he’s but a boy” and over time this has evolved into butter boy. 

The Burst 

This is an apt description used to describe the mass exodus of people from venues following events. The biggest burst usually happens around 10pm in the West End when theatre shows are ending.  

If you were to hear a cabbie say ‘Berty popped”, they would be referring to the burst following the end of an event at the Albert Hall. 

A Flyer 

As you can probably guess from the name, this is slang for an airport run. 

Kojak with a Kodak 

A reference to the US crime drama Kojak, a KWAK refers to a police officer with a speed gun. These can sometimes be called a ‘blue tree’. 

The Gas Works 

This phrase tells you everything you need to know about cabbies' attitudes towards politicians. The Gas Works is the name given to the Houses of Parliament.  

Musher 

A musher is a cabbie who owns their own cab. Cabbies who rent are called Journeymen. Interestingly, musher comes from the French word ‘marche’ meaning to go. This became ‘mush’ for English Canadians, where the term was adopted for the sport of husky racing or ‘mushing’. 

Sherbet 

A sherbet is another name for a cab. This comes from rhyming slang ‘Sherbet Dab’ for cab, which over time has simply become sherbet. 

And that concludes our round-up of the most common cabbie slang. We know there’s loads more out there. If we’ve missed one of your favourites, let us know and we’ll get it added to the list!