Book Review: Of Bairns and Wheelie Bins
Mary T. Wagner,
Waterhorse Press, LLC. 2023. eBook.
Reviewed by Catherine Marcroft.
Of Bairns and Wheelie Bins is a witty, annotated British-to-American English dictionary translating over 250 words and phrases gleaned from various British series increasingly popular with American audiences who tuned in during the pandemic. As the author notes in the introduction, her list in not exhaustive. Wagner compiled these distinctive phrases after turning on the subtitles while watching these shows still left her confused. The subtitles did help to decipher unfamiliar accents and brogues, but not all of the meanings of the words.
As a curious consumer of the streaming world, you will want to have this book within reach. The characters in the myriad of British police procedurals and detective television series do speak English, but with Mary Wagner’s Of Bairns and Wheelie Bins, the mysteries will remain confined to the storylines and not mysterious language.
This book is great fun—a glossary of words and phrases in alpha order to assist you in making sense of your favorite British shows. Some British-isms will be familiar such as the British “lift” meaning a U.S. elevator or “torch” meaning flashlight. Others are more obscure and pertain specifically to crime stories. The British phrase “got form” means “has a police record” and a British “misper” means “missing person.” The author admits to having a few favorites including “bairns” and “wheelie bins” that appear in her book’s title.
If you are a fan Midsomer Murders, Hinterland, Shetland, Whitechapel and others, with Wagner’s book in hand, you can watch without going “doolally” (losing your mind) thinking it’s “a mug’s game” (waste of time) that leaves you “peaky” (out of sorts) because you have spent the evening “faffing” (wasting time on unimportant activities). Of Bairns and Wheelie Bins will have you “sorted” (straightened out) in no time. To which I say a hearty “Ta!” (Thanks!)