English Reference
Idiom idiom

Derry and Toms

Slang Cockney rhyming slang · East London
Meaning

bombs

Examples
SIMPLE

“The soldiers dropped their Derry and Toms on the target.”

CONTEXTUAL

“The historical documentary showed footage of the planes dropping Derry and Toms over the city.”

COMPLEX

“The sirens wailed across the city as the residents braced themselves for the inevitable impact of the falling Derry and Toms.”

Origin

Referring not just to the famous London store, but to "derry" as to "have a derry on" meaning to dislike, referring to "down on", meaning prejudiced against, from Derry Down in Ireland.

Anchors to
Related idioms3entries
  1. 01

    bomb out

    To fail; to produce no or very poor results; to drop out of or be eliminated from a competition.

  2. 02

    drop a bomb

    Alternative form of drop a bombshell.

  3. 03

    drop the bomb

    to reveal dramatic and unexpected news that changes a situation completely

Last updated June 6, 2026