“Thank—you.” He managed to spit out the words between clenched teeth.
Maggie led him to the wood-burning stove in the corner, near her beautiful mahogany counter. “Sit. You,” she pointed at Martin. “Come with me.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He followed her into the back room, and let out a grunt when she threw herself at him. She buried her face against his shoulder, her arms wrapped tight around his waist. There was nowhere else he wanted to be. “Hello, love.”
“How—” She lifted her head and met his eyes. “I thought you were stuck at the dig indefinitely.”
“I called in some favors.” Every one he had, but it was worth the trade. “I could not stomach the thought of spending Christmas standing in a muddy hole in the ground.”
“I missed you, so much.”
He kissed her, letting her know just how he had missed her. She cut it short, framing his face and studying him for a long moment before she let him go, grabbing the cardigan he kept in the back room.
“Don’t interrogate him, Maggie.”
She paused in the doorway, and flashed him a smile that had his heart racing. “I won’t. Not until he looks more like a human, and less like a walking icicle. Can you put on a fresh pot?”
He nodded, and moved to the doorway after she left, watching her fuss over their visitor. She had such grace, and such kindness in her. He loved her, more than he could ever express in words. But he hoped the ring in his coat pocket would be a good start.
~ * ~
List of British Slang
Here is a list of words, proving that English and American are two different languages. You will find some of them in Written on the Wind, and I guarantee more will appear in future Maggie Mulgrew Mysteries. Enjoy!
Daily life
advert - advertisement, commercial
anticlockwise - counterclockwise
bank holiday - legal holiday
Beefeater - nickname for the Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London
bobby/The Bill - a policeman
cashpoint machine - ATM, cashpoint for short
cheers - goodbye, thank you, also a toast
concession - discounted admission
dear - expensive
fancy - to be attracted to someone - I really fancy her!
football - soccer
fortnight - a contraction of fourteen nights, or 2 weeks
fringe - hair bangs
half eight - 8:30 - think half past (insert hour) and it will be a breeze to remember
holiday - vacation
interval - intermission (in theatres)
jumble sale - rummage sale, usually for charity
left luggage - place to check luggage for the day, replaces luggage lockers
lift - the elevator
loo - the toilet - ask for the bathroom only if you want a bath
mate - your friend
naught/nought - nothing
on offer - for sale
pavement - the sidewalk
pillar box/letter box - public mailbox (look like short red pillars, hence the name!)
Police Constable/PC - police officer
power point - electric wall socket
queue - line
queue up - line up
Remembrance Day - Veteran’s Day
ring/ring up - call on the phone
ring off/rang off – hang up or end phone call
self-catering - rental accommodations, a flat or house that is rented by the week
solicitor - an attorney
stone - 14 pounds in weight
ta - thank you
tick - check mark
toilet - just what it says
top up - refill – also refers to adding minutes to pay as you go mobiles
Vice-Chancellor - administration at university
WC - short for water closet - just another name for the loo or toilet
wee - small
zed - the letter Z
Everyday items
bin - a trash can
biro - a ballpoint pen
braces - suspenders
brolly - an umbrella
clingfilm - saran wrap or plastic wrap
cooker - the stove
cotton buds - Q-tips
cozzy - a bathing suit
draughts - checkers
dummy - a pacifier
duvet - a comforter, with removable cover - often it will replace the top sheet on your bed
flannel - a washcloth
fag - a cigarette
fiver - £5 note
hob - the stove burner
hoover - the vacuum cleaner
knickers - ladies’ panties
ladybird - a ladybug
mac - a mackintosh raincoat, can also be generic for a raincoat - rain mac
mobile - a cell phone
moggie - a cat
nappy - a diaper - not a napkin
pants - underwear, briefs
plaster/sticking plaster - a Band aid
pound note - a dollar bill
quid - another name for a pound note
rubber - an eraser, not the other kind of rubber
Sellotape/sticky tape - Scotch tape
serviette - a napkin
skip - a dumpster
smalls - underwear
spanner - a wrench
surgical spirit - rubbing alcohol
suspenders - garters, as in the kind that hold up stockings, not your trousers
telly - the tv
tenner - £10 note, or ten pounds
tights - pantyhose, any type
tin - a can
torch - a flashlight
trainers - sneakers or tennis shoes
trousers - pants, slacks
Wellingtons/wellies - rubber boots, rain boots
English food
afters - dessert
aubergine - eggplant
banger - sausage
bangers and mash - sausage and mashed potatoes
bap - a soft, round, floured roll
beetroot - beet
bill - your restaurant check
biscuit - cookie - and to confuse you further, biscuit can also refer to crackers, as in biscuits for cheese
bitter - dark ales served a little below room temperature - order beer and this is what you will get
black pudding - sausage made from cooking animal blood with filler until congealed
bubble and squeak - pan fried potatoes and cabbage (other veg can also be used)
Cadbury - creamy, delicious chocolate in loads of different flavors - if you have had Cadbury in America, it is nothing like this
candyfloss - cotton candy - just as sticky, just as tooth-achingly sweet
chicory - endive
chips - French fries
cider - fermented apple juice - and quite potent!
clotted cream - thick, incredibly delicious cream to spread on scones, or served with cake coriander - cilantro
cottage pie - minced beef and veg, topped with mashed potatoes - not to be confused with shepherd’s pie
courgette - zucchini
cream tea - consists of a pot of tea, scones and strawberry jam, with the previously mentioned clotted cream - delicious!
crisps - potato chips - in a million and one flavors
crumpet - what we think of as an English muffin, but loads tastier
cuppa - cup of tea – ah, instant relaxation
digestives - tasty round cookies, made for babies and toddlers
entrée - appetizer - not the main course
fairy cake - cupcake
fizzy drink - pop or soda
Flake - a long, crumbly stick of Cadbury chocolate - heaven!
gammon - ham
gateau/gateaux - a rich cake, usually served with cream
golden syrup - a thick syrup used for sticky pudding and desserts - my nephews have it on their peanut butter sandwiches instead of jam or h
oney - yum!
hot pot - a one pot stew, usually made with lamb, veg and sliced potatoes on top, slow cooked in a low oven
jacket potato - baked potato
jelly - jell-o
kippers - smoked herring - I’ve had them cut in half and served on a plate for breakfast - beautiful!
ladyfingers - light, crispy, sweet sponge cakes
lady’s finger - okra
lager - closest to American beer, drunk from a pint glass instead of a bottle and served cold, but not as cold as you’re used to
lemon squash - lemonade, still
lemonade - lemon lime soda, carbonated - think Sprite or 7-Up
mash - short for mashed potatoes
mince - ground beef or other meat
mushy peas - dried peas that are soaked overnight and simmered until they go all, well, mushy - much tastier than they sound
pasty - (pass-tee) savory half-moon shaped handheld pie, originally from Cornwall - a good one is heavenly, a bad one is like eating flavored glue (I’ve had both, unfortunately)
pickle - a mixture of veg, spices and vinegar - looks like a brown lump on your plate, is a surprising burst of flavor when you eat it
pickled onions - shallots in pickling vinegar - lovely with a good, creamy cheese
pub grub - aka pub food - can be surprisingly good, and a good value as well
pudding - general name for dessert
rasher - slice of bacon
sausage roll - sausage wrapped in pastry
savoury/savouries - pastries that are savory instead of sweet
Scotch egg - hardboiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated with bread crumbs and deep fried, then eaten cold
shandy - lager and 7-Up
shepherd’s pie - minced lamb and veg, topped with mashed potatoes - not to be confused with cottage pie
soda - soda water
soldiers - finger size slices of toast - perfect for dipping in egg yolk
squash - a concentrated drink for kids - add water and you’re good to go
starters - appetizers
stone - the pit in your fruit
stout - dark beer or ale
sultanas - golden raisins
swede - rutabaga
take-away - fast food places like Pret a Manger or EAT will ask if your order is eat in or take-away - it means to go, and unless you’re dying to sit in that noisy, often narrow room for an extra charge, say “take-away, please!”
tart - like our pies, with fruit or jam - I’ve always had mine served with cream or custard
toad in the hole - sausages cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter
treacle pudding - steamed sponge cake with a thick syrup topping - can also be served with custard or cream
Yorkshire pudding - a light batter that is baked in a tin with hot oil at very high heat until it rises – similar to popovers in America... but not really... just another unique bit of English cuisine
Places
apothecary – place that dispensed medicine and medical advice - now the modern chemist
bridleway - public right-of-way path for walkers, horseback riders, and cyclists
bungalow - single story house
canteen - a cafeteria
casualty - emergency room, may also be called A&E for accident and emergency
chemist - pharmacist/ pharmacy - what you know as a drugstore, plus loads more on offer than you would ever expect
chippie/chip shop - fish and chip shop
cinema - movie theatre, where you go to see a film, not a movie
dress circle, upper circle - the upper rows in the theatre (may also be called royal circle, grand circle, depending on the theatre) - these seats are close together, so you will be nose to knees with the person behind you
cupboard - any closet in the house
en-suite - bathroom is attached to the room and not shared
fell - hill, mountain or high plain (Lake District and Pennine Dales)
first floor - second floor (our first floor is the ground floor in England)
flat - apartment
gallery - balcony
gangway - aisle in the theatre
gaol - jail – pronounced the same
garden - the entire yard, not just the flower or veg beds!
heath - open land with low growing plants and vegetation
High Street - the main street or road in a town
licenced restaurant - restaurant with a license to sell alcohol
lift - elevator
listed - protected historic building
loft - attic
London School of Economics/LSE - well-known university in London
lounge - living room
mews - stables built behind 17th-18th century London houses, now converted into modern dwellings
newsagent - similar to our convenience store
off-licence - liquor store
pitch - playing field
public footpath - right of way path on private land that gives walkers the legal right to travel, also known as public rights of way
public school - private school, i.e. Eton
stalls - the best seats in the theatre, close to the stage
state school - public school
theatre - live theatre
to let - to rent
towpath - trail or road along the river, originally used to tow boats
Transport
bonnet - the car hood
boot - the car trunk
call - as in call at the station, rather than stopping
caravan - a trailer - and the cause of many a tailback
car park - the parking lot
cat’s eyes - road reflectors
clearway - section of road where it is illegal to stop
coach - a long distance bus
diversion - a detour
dual carriageway - divided highway with a minimum of 2 lanes in each direction
flyover - the overpass
ford - low water crossing
gearstick - the stick shift
give way - yield
hand brake - the parking brake
lorry - a truck
motorway - the freeway
petrol - gas
return ticket - a round trip ticket
roundabout - a traffic circle
service areas - freeway rest areas (also called motorway rest areas or MSAs)
single ticket - a one way ticket
sleeping policeman - a speed bump
slip road - an entry or exit ramp
subway - an underground walkway
tailback - what we refer to fondly as a traffic jam
taxi rank - a taxi stand
Tube/Underground - the subway
verge - grassy edge of the road
way out - the exit
zebra crossing - (rhymes with Debra) the crosswalk
English slang, or what did he just say?
all agog - excited - I’m all agog!
bloody - less offensive expletive - not bloody likely!
Bob’s your uncle - there you go, that’s it!
brilliant - magnificent, excellent
cheap as chips - inexpensive
chuffed - delighted, pleased
codswallup/codswallop - nonsense (I’ve seen several spelling variations of this one - they all mean the same thing, a load of nonsense)
dicey - risky
donkey’s years - ages, a long time
full Monty - the whole thing, going all the way
gander - to take a closer look at something - take a gander at that!
give over - stop, give me a break
gobsmacked - shocked, amazed, speechless
hen night/hen party - bachelorette party
homely - homey, cozy
hump - to carry something heavy
just a tick - just a second
loads - lots – as in I use this word loads of times!
mean - tight fisted, stingy
natter -
to talk incessantly, go on and on
nick - to steal, take without permission
knackered - exhausted
knock up - to be woken up - please knock me up at 7 am (I had a B&B proprietor ask when I would like to be knocked up in the morning - fortunately I knew what she meant!)
over the moon - ecstatic - he’s over the moon about it!
pear-shaped - gone wrong, become a disaster
pissed - drunk (not something you want to say to someone of new acquaintance!)
put a sock in it - shut up
rubbish - nonsense
skive - to avoid responsibility, as in skiving off work
snog/snogging - kiss, kissing, making out
sod off - piss off, get lost
sorted - fixed the problem, worked things out
spend a penny - go to the bathroom/loo
splash out - spend far too much money!
stag night - bachelor party
suss out - figure out
taking the mickey - making fun of someone
whinge - (rhymes with hinge) to whine or complain in an exceedingly annoying fashion
wonky - unstable, crooked
Yank - American
Written on the Wind
Maggie Mulgrew Mysteries Book 2
Cate Dean
Copyright, 2016
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except for use in any review. This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locales, and events are either pure invention or used fictitiously, and all incidents come from the author’s imagination alone.
About The Author
Cate Dean has been writing since she could hold a pen in her hand and put more than two words together on paper.
She grew up losing herself in the wilds of fantasy worlds, and has had some of her own adventures while tromping through the UK, and a few other parts of the world.
A lover of all things supernatural, she infuses that love into her stories, giving them a unique edge.
When she's not writing, she loves cooking, scaring herself silly in the local cemeteries, and reading pretty much anything she can get her hands on.
There - I got the official biography out of the way. I love to write, and yes, I have been doing it most of my life. I've made up stories in my head for as long as I can remember, and I am thrilled to be able to write them down and share them with you.
I love writing different types of stories, and jump from fantasy, to mystery and paranormal, then over to romance and YA. So many genres, so little time...