Exponents of Cockney Rhyming Slang, the noble art practised by those born within the sound of Bow Bells at St Mary-le-Bow in London, were in mourning today, after it was announced that Eartha Kitt, the object of one of the language's most-used expressions, was Brown Bread.
Kitt, who played Catwoman in the 1960s Batman films, had, for years, been mentioned every time someone in London went for a crap, as in:
"I'm off for an Eartha Kitt."
Miss Kitt always liked a bit of a Ding Dong and a Jack Palance. She was a stalwart of the Manhattan cabaret scene, and had a string of hits, including Old Fashioned Girl, C'est Si Bon and current festive favourite Santa Baby.
Other Cockney Rhyming Slang words for an Eartha Kitt include a William Pitt, a Tom Tit, a Brad Pitt, a Two-Bob Bit, a Bottomless Pit, English Lit, and the slightly less used, although by no means any less filthy example used here:
"I've had 15 pints and a dodgy curry. Now I need a Turkish Delight.