What does “playus nigh” mean in Cockney?

Question

It is difficult to see why this anonymous informant should manage to refer to the Bard's dwelling as an 'ouse just after adopting a very different pronunciation for playhouse.
@Fortiter Because in London the term playhouse was the original generic term; The Theatre was the name of a specific playhouse, built by James Burbage in 1576. When theatre was adopted in polite and literary uses, playhouse remained in the vernacular and, without orthorgraphic reinforcement, underwent ordinary reduction, like bosun, or grindstone, which is reported as /'grɪnstən/ in Appalachia.

2 revs · Answer 1 · 2013-03-14 15:03:29Z

up vote 3 down vote

I think it means "a theater is near there". mplungjan is right about "playus" being "playhouse".

"Yes, platypus doesn't really fit the bill." – Edwin Ashworth

"I guess I should have posted as an answer then..." – mplungjan

edited Mar 14 at 15:03

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Yes, platypus doesn't really fit the bill. – Edwin Ashworth Mar 12 at 9:29

I guess I should have posted as an answer then... – mplungjan Mar 12 at 9:52

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