What is the cockney slang for taxi?

Sherbet. Slang for cab. It derives from the Cockney rhyming term, 'sherbet dab' (the sugary tooth-dissolving treat that you chow down with a lollipop).



In Cockney Rhyming Slang, the most common term for a taxi (cab) is a "Sherbet Dab." A Sherbet Dab is a traditional British sweet consisting of fizzy powder and a lollipop, and in the slang, it simply rhymes with "Cab." Over time, this is often shortened to just a "Sherbet" (e.g., "I'm going to hop in a sherbet to get home"). Another, slightly more modern and niche term is a "Left Jab," which also rhymes with "Cab." Occasionally, you might hear "Andy McNab" used as rhyming slang for cab, referring to the famous former SAS soldier and author. While these terms are part of London's linguistic heritage, in 2026 you are more likely to hear them used by older Londoners or in traditional East End pubs. For most daily interactions, the standard terms "cab" or "taxi" are used, but if a Londoner tells you they are "calling for a sherbet," they aren't looking for candy—they are looking for a ride.

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Sherbet. Slang for cab. It derives from the Cockney rhyming term, 'sherbet dab' (the sugary tooth-dissolving treat that you chow down with a lollipop).

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The famous London taxis are actually called 'hackney carriages' but in London we just call them 'black cabs/taxis'.

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A hackney or hackney carriage (also called a cab, black cab, hack or London taxi) is a carriage or car for hire. A hackney of a more expensive or high class was called a remise.

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On this page you'll find 7 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to taxi driver, such as: cabbie, cabby, cab driver, cabman, hack, and hackman.

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You can also refer to a taxi as a cab or a taxicab.

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That said, hailing is a fairly specific word that not everyone uses. If someone uses call a taxi, I wouldn't be surprised if they then go and hail a taxi.

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Today's word is cab! This was a colloquial London shortening of cabriolet, which was a type of covered carriage. The word was borrowed from the French word cabriolet, from around the 18th century, a diminutive of cabriole, meaning “a leap, a caper”.

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A cab is a taxi.

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A symbol of London and Britain, the black taxi is a common sight on the streets of the UK. The hackney carriages carry a roof sign TAXI that can be illuminated at night to indicate their availability for passengers.

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Taxi VS Cab The earliest form of horse-drawn vehicle available for hire was called a 'cab' (short for cabriolet). The name stuck when cab firms upgraded to motorized vehicles, fitted with a 'taximeter' (which measured how far you'd gone). These were called 'taxi-cabs'. Nowadays either word is used.

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Hansom cabs were patented in 1834 by York architect Joseph Hansom. They were two-wheeled carriages drawn by horses and were much lighter and faster than the Hackney carriages. They were also cheaper to ride in. The Hansom cab soon spread to Berlin, Paris, St Petersburg, and New York City.

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By the mid-1800s, however, carriage services saw a new, faster model called the hansom cab. Joseph Hansom designed a smaller, lighter carriage that only required one horse to pull it. In fact, these coaches could easily traverse city streets and travel around traffic.

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In 1897, Gottlieb Daimler built the world's first dedicated gasoline-powered taxi vehicle. Equipped with a taximeter, it was called the Daimler Victoria and was delivered to German entrepreneur Friedrich Greiner. He founded the world's first motorised taxi company in Stuttgart.

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