ENGLISH
REFERENCE

Derry and Toms

idiom
Slang Cockney rhyming slang · East London
Meaning

bombs

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.

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.

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