Oh yes, "moggie". Moggie's a good one. It means a cat, but it somehow conveys a good deal more about the cat, I think, than the mere generic word "cat" does. It suggests a certain homely quality, a raffish sort of informal and neighbourly way of referring to a familiar animal that is often seen in the vicinity of one's digs.

"Digs!" There's another one. I think it must derive back to a time when Britons scraped out holes in the ground to live in and pulled some thatched roof or something like that over them. If Sir Francis Drake and the other bold seafaring chaps off "Plymouth Ho!" had not sent the Armada packing in 1588, the Brits might still be living that way! If so, we would be obliged to send them foreign aid, and we're already stretched too thin....so thank you, Sir Francis!

Thanks for bringing up the connection between "old" and "git", Kat. It's an important one too. A "miserable old git". Gawd...I love the sound of that! It summons up such a vivid picture in one's mind. You know exactly what it means the moment you hear it.