
Originally Posted by
skintwisterman
Eh, I prefer just milk. In a day, I have on average ten to twelve cups of tea, so cream'd get awful expensive.
BRITFACTBURST: Over here, we tend to drink tea like we breathe air-- pretty constantly. It is a massive part of life; it is customary to offer guests a cup of tea (whit you probably know).
What you may not know, on the other hand, is the exact schemata for a 'cuppa tea' exchange-- a typical example of which follows:
(Brian and his wife, Laura, are entertaining their new neighbours, Phillip and Alice for the first time.)
Brian: 'Hi, Phil, Alice, do come on in. D'ya want a cup of tea?'
Phillip: 'Ah, thanks, Bri. Two sugars and milk, please.'
Alice: 'Yeah, that'd be great, thanks, pet. Do you have any Earl Grey?'
(Brian and Phillip both laugh a little.)
Phillip: 'Earl Grey? Aren't we posh today!'
Brian: 'Bloody hell, you must thing we're right upper class. I think Laura picked some up the other week while it was on special. Lemme have a look.'
Laura: 'Does anyone want a biscuit?'
Notes:
1) Brian offers tea; he doesn't ask if they take sugar, milk, etc., and doesn't offer the Earl Grey Laura picked up the other week. This isn't impoliteness-- he knows his guests will request their desires...
2) Just like Phillip and Alice do. Phil asks straighforwardly 'Two sugars' (it is implied white, as no bugger'd desecrate it with brown) and 'milk': This implies a median amount of milk-- he could also have asked for 'a spot of milk', 'a splash...', 'a little...', 'a fair amount...', or 'lots of milk', or said 'I like it milky.'
3) Alice requests Earl Grey. As most people just go for Typhoo or another type of standard tea, Alice's request is made light of (politely): any non-standard tea is seen as 'posh'. Heck, even Phil jokes about it to his wife. It's not seen as impolite to request it, though.
4)Laura offers biscuits. Ask what you like of tea, but we'll offer you biscuits.
The tea will be served in individual cups, with a tea-bag: only connesuers bother with tea-leaves or a tea-pot. We just go tea-ag, hit with hot water, milk, sugar, stir, take out the tea-bag (some people like to leave it a bit, like me) and serve. Joy <3
Tea's up!
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