"Tankie" was a pejorative for Marxists that support socialism in real life then as well as now. It originated in the Communist Party of Great Britain. The term was coined because of the British tendency towards silly-sounding insults, and because the Soviet Union sent in the Red Army to stop the western-backed fascist insurrection. This caused a split in the party (as it always does in western orgs).

Do you know if it's rhyming slang, and if so, what the phrase was?

[–] Horse@lemmygrad.ml 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

like Cowbee said, it's not rhyming slang, it came from a time before cockney rhyming slang was widespread in the uk

to expand, rhyming slang began as a very regional thing, so regional that it was a single (working class) area of london

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 3 points 3 days ago

I believe, just disappointed a little (not much, it's just funny to me).

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I doubt it's rhyming, just adding the -ie to tank to designate a person, like Limey.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 4 points 3 days ago

Aww, rhyming slang is delightful!