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Mishau Posted 22 years ago
Vocabulary

Slang or idioms

I picked up these expressions from a movie:

"You could choke a dozen donkeys on that!"

and another one

"All right, all right. Keep your alans on."

I didn't manage to find them at any dictionaries I had.
I even don't know whether they are idioms or slang.
Could anyone help me with descriptions of the two?
The speakers were Londoners.

Thank you.
  

Top answer

Hello Mishau 'Keep your Alans on' = 'keep your Alan Whickers on'. Alan Whicker is a British television presenter. In the plural, he is rhyming slang for 'knickers'.

— MrPedantic

  • Hello Mishau 'Keep your Alans on' = 'keep your Alan Whickers on'.
  • Alan Whicker is a British television presenter.
  • In the plural, he is rhyming slang for 'knickers'.
  • 'Keep your knickers on' means 'please calm down'.
  • 'You could choke a donkey on that' is a humorous response to flatulence.
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10 Answers
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Hello Mishau

'Keep your Alans on' = 'keep your Alan Whickers on'.

Alan Whicker is a British television presenter. In the plural,
he is rhyming slang for 'knickers'. 'Keep your knickers on'
means 'please calm down'.

'You could choke a donkey on that' is a humorous response
to flatulence. It implies a particularly pungent emission.

Flatul
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I'm not sure about choke a dozen donkeys.

But keep your on alans on, is slang.

Alans = Alan Whickers = Knickers

Keep your knickers on ... which means don't loose your temper.

(I assume you watched Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels)
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The reference "You could choke a dozen donkeys on that!" refers to the size of the "wad" or bundle of bank notes that the other character has just pulled out of his pocket.

It's simply a humourous reference to how large the bundle is.


Gaz
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Hi - "Allans" is slang for "knickers". This came from the word "knickers" being substituted by the rhyming alternative "Alan Whicker" who is a famous travel journalist in the UK. "Alan Whicker" then was shortened to "Alan" and you have your slang!
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What is this? A parrots' convention?
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SQUAWK! What is this? A Pierrot's convention?
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aaaaargh! 'tis a pirates' convention, matey!
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lock stock and two smoking barrells...

in cockney rhyming slang
alans = alan whickers = kickers = pants

i dont know about the other one
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You are right about the Alan Wickers but not about the Choking a dozen donkeys bit. The chocking reference comes from the fact that he has a huge wad of cash in his hand and could choke them with the money.
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I have read the meaning of Keeping your knickers on, and I understand it was originally termed as "Shirt" not "Knickers", but where did it originate and in what context and by whom?

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