Almost every type of genre (mystery, romance, horror, etc.) has words or phrases that are particular to that specific genre. Authors of police procedurals use police jargon. Science Fiction novels are often set in a world created in the author’s imagination with places and things created and named by the author.

In most cases, the way a word or phrase is used in a book makes it easy for a reader unfamiliar with it to decipher its meaning. The more you see the word or phrase, the more familiar it becomes, until it’s part of your vocabulary. Whether it’s something you can use in everyday conversation, though, is another matter.

The Trip

Years ago, on my first solo trip to England, I spent a week at a B&B in England’s Lake District. This mountainous region in NW England is a popular holiday destination for both British and non-British visitors.

Every morning, I enjoyed talking to whichever guests happened to be at breakfast with me. One guest, David, an older gentleman from Southern England, was on his way home from a holiday in Scotland. For several days we’d chatted as we’d eaten breakfast and watched Good Morning, England. This day, he surprised me with an invitation to join him as he drove around the Lake District. I hesitated only briefly before accepting his offer, and we set off in his car. (Yes, I know that doesn’t seem smart, especially in today’s world, but remember, it wasn’t “today’s world” and wasn’t as dangerous as it sounds.)

Being “Mother”

David played tour guide, telling me about the towns and lakes we passed. Just before noon, we pulled over near Coniston Water to enjoy “a spot” of tea. (No crumpets in sight.) Being a Brit, he took his tea seriously. He didn’t carry a thermos of already brewed tea. He steeped it fresh, using a small gas stove to heat a kettle of water. As he prepared our cups, he glanced over at me and said, “I’ll be mother this time.”

My jaw dropped and I practically jumped up and down with excitement.

Poor guy. My animated reaction probably freaked him out, or at least made him seriously question my sanity. But the words, “I’ll be mother” were straight out of the British historical romances I’d read. “Being mother” referred to the person who prepared and poured the tea, things a mother would do. Because I’d only read the phrase in historical novels, I had assumed—incorrectly—it was a phrase that had died out. So hearing him say it, made my day!

Special Memories

In case you’re wondering, he made my day once more when we stopped later for afternoon tea, and he said, “This time, you be mother.” And I was . . . after letting him light the stove’s burner.

We might not have been in a proper British drawing room with fancy china and appropriate refreshments, but our tea breaks couldn’t have been any better if I’d written the scenes myself.

They were one of two special memories from that long-ago day. The other involved signs, a stick shift, and a mountain . . . but I’ll save that for a future Did You Know?