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What is the slang word for taxi in London?

A hackney or hackney carriage (also called a cab, black cab, hack or London taxi) is a carriage or car for hire.



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In London, the most common slang word for a taxi—specifically the iconic black vehicles—is simply a "Cab" or "Black Cab." While "cab" is used globally, in London it carries a specific weight, referring only to the Hackney Carriages that are licensed to be hailed on the street and whose drivers have passed the rigorous "Knowledge" exam. You might also hear the term "Hansom" in a historical or very posh context, though that is quite rare today. Another term you will frequently encounter is "Minicab," which is not exactly slang but a crucial distinction; a minicab is a private hire vehicle (like a standard car) that must be pre-booked and cannot legally pick up passengers on the street. While there isn't a wide variety of "street slang" names for taxis like there are for the "Tube" (the subway), many Londoners might refer to their journey as "jumping in a cab." It’s also worth noting that calling a taxi a "hackney" is technically correct but considered very old-fashioned. If you're looking for the most "London" way to say it, just stick with "the black cab" to distinguish it from the newer app-based ride-shares.

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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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Cabbie Slang 101. Aside from the usual cabs, there are some folks who refer to these as sherbet. It originated from a rhyming term from Cockney “sherbet dab.” It is a sweet dissolving sugar that you can eat with a lollipop.

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A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride.

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A cab is a taxi.

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Synonyms of taxis
  • cabs.
  • taxicabs.
  • hacks.
  • limousines.
  • rickshaws.
  • rickshas.
  • jitneys.
  • water taxis.


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5. Black cab. The famous London taxis are actually called 'hackney carriages' but in London we just call them 'black cabs/taxis'. London taxi drivers have to pass a special exam called the Knowledge to get their license so if you take a black cab, you can be sure the driver will know the way.

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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.

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Traditionally referred to as 'Hackney carriages', London's black cabs may be famous throughout the world for their colour and elegant old-fashioned chassis design but, essentially, they operate like and serve the same purpose as taxis anywhere else on the planet.

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Taxi is also U.S. slang for “a prison sentence of between five and fifteen years,” says the OED, perhaps from the analogy between a short taxi ride and relatively short prison term.

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Ultimately, the word taxi originates from the ancient Greek word t???? (taxis), which means 'arrangement, order'. Taxi is a shortening of the French term 'taximètre'. Germans named this device 'taxameter'. This word stems from the medieval Latin word taxa (taxation), which initially applied to rental cars.

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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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Phototaxis (by light) Rheotaxis (by fluid flow) Thermotaxis (by changes in temperature) Thigmotaxis (by physical contact)

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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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