Britishisms sneaking into American vernacular

[Flicka]

I'm not much of a tea-drinker, but I was always taught that milk goes in second, and never really thought about it. It wasn't until I was older I realised that this was because Milk In First was what "Other People" did. Does anyone else recognise this?

Anyway, I'll take coffee over tea nine times out of ten.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm not much of a tea-drinker, but I was always taught that milk goes in second, and never really thought about it. It wasn't until I was older I realised that this was because Milk In First was what "Other People" did. Does anyone else recognise this?

I never heard this, but I was taught that tea with lemon is a "filthy Russian habit."

 

[lolly_loisides]

I'm not much of a tea-drinker, but I was always taught that milk goes in second, and never really thought about it. It wasn't until I was older I realised that this was because Milk In First was what "Other People" did. Does anyone else recognise this?

Anyway, I'll take coffee over tea nine times out of ten.

That reminds me of a quote from "Love in a Cold Climate" by Nancy Mitford

Uncle Matthew is talking about his niece, but this more about class distinctions than American English

“Education! I was always led to suppose that no educated person ever spoke of notepaper, and yet I hear poor Fanny asking Sadie for notepaper. What is this education? Fanny talks about mirrors and mantelpieces, handbags and perfume, she takes sugar in her coffee, has a tassel on her umbrella. … It’s a lucky thing that Fanny will have £15,000 a year of her own. … She’ll get a husband all right, even if she does talk about lunch, and envelope, and puts the milk in first.”

 

[Flicka]

I never heard this, but I was taught that tea with lemon is a "filthy Russian habit."

In this case, I used Other People as some of my mother's family would - "I'm sure it's fine, dear -- for other people" - meaning lower middle and working class. I had to google it to see if it was something local, but it seems that at least Nancy Mitford uses milk-in-first as a class denominator, and according to Evelyn Waugh, it's what "governesses and nurses" do so I think it holds for Britain/UK/England too.

Stupid to me. I still put in milk second though, but that's because I'd rather have too little than too much milk and it makes it easier to measure to me. If my great-aunt was here, though, I'd forgo personal taste in the interest of rebellion against idiotic and constraining class-icism.

 

[Flicka]

That reminds me of a quote from "Love in a Cold Climate" by Nancy Mitford

Uncle Matthew is talking about his niece, but this more about class distinctions than American English

“Education! I was always led to suppose that no educated person ever spoke of notepaper, and yet I hear poor Fanny asking Sadie for notepaper. What is this education? Fanny talks about mirrors and mantelpieces, handbags and perfume, she takes sugar in her coffee, has a tassel on her umbrella. … It’s a lucky thing that Fanny will have £15,000 a year of her own. … She’ll get a husband all right, even if she does talk about lunch, and envelope, and puts the milk in first.”

I found that when googling! Now I feel like I should take sugar in my coffee as well, just to rebel, but I absolutely hate the taste. I think I can do a tassled umbrella, though!

 

[LizzieMaine]

For me, putting milk in tea is like putting hot water on corn flakes. And never the twain shall meet.

 

[kiwilrdg]

Putting milk and sugar in my tea and putting malt vinegar on my chips (fries) are two Britishisms that crept into my diet when I lived in the UK 22 years ago.

 

[kiwilrdg]

I think one reason why Americans don't often have milk in their tea is that American tea is usually so weak (because of the brewing difficulty I described in earlier posts). When you add milk to tea that is as weak as most Americans brew it you end up with something that tastes like warm, watered-down milk.

 

[dhermann1]

The British habit of putting in the milk first is because they brew the tea in the teapot first, and they're pouring in full strength tea. We Americans tend to use tea bags, so putting in the milk first would guarantee that the tea would never steep properly in the tepid water and milk mixture.
I personally use loose tea in one of those little self contained strainer doohickeys (what are the called, anyway?). I like my tea (Jackson's or Fortnum and Mason or some other good British brand) good and strong. I use a half teaspoon of honey and a little milk.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I brew my tea in a teapot, having boiled the water in an electric kettle and pouring it as soon as the bell dings and it shuts off. I put the milk into my mug, along with sweetener, and after the tea has brewed poured it in.

When I was in England I was told that it was a matter of taste as to whether you poured the tea into the milk or the milk into the tea, though I do it my way as it's convenient.

I recall once I offered a mate of mine a cuppa, and he gladly accepted having just arrived on his motorcycle in typical cool/damp English weather. He was a bit taken aback at what an American thought of as a "cuppa" when I handed him a typical large American coffee mug of tea!

Funny, despite spending the majority of my adult life in the military I never got to where I could stand coffee, no matter how you tried to doctor it up.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[esteban68]

NO! sugar in tea is proof of witchcraft over here...............omly problem is I always need a biscuit with tea(cookie) whereas with coffee I can go without.

 

[Flicka]

The British habit of putting in the milk first is because they brew the tea in the teapot first, and they're pouring in full strength tea. We Americans tend to use tea bags, so putting in the milk first would guarantee that the tea would never steep properly in the tepid water and milk mixture.
I personally use loose tea in one of those little self contained strainer doohickeys (what are the called, anyway?). I like my tea (Jackson's or Fortnum and Mason or some other good British brand) good and strong. I use a half teaspoon of honey and a little milk.

But insofar I know, and as I stated above, some Brits mif and some don't and traditionally it's a class thing. Why I have no idea, but I doubt it's because the upper classes used tea bags.

 

[Big Bertie]

I like my tea (Jackson's or Fortnum and Mason or some other good British brand) good and strong.

You're lucky if you can still get Jackson's in the States. I thought they had gone out of business nearly 20 years ago.

 

[Big Bertie]

But insofar I know, and as I stated above, some Brits mif and some don't and traditionally it's a class thing. Why I have no idea, but I doubt it's because the upper classes used tea bags.

The correct way is to put the milk in first. But you're not condemned to Siberia if you happen to do it the other way - Nancy Mitford has a lot to answer for.

 

[Flicka]

The correct way is to put the milk in first. But you're not condemned to Siberia if you happen to do it the other way - Nancy Mitford has a lot to answer for.

Correct way according to whom?

http://www.debretts.com/etiquette/food-and-drink/tea.aspx

 

[lolly_loisides]

I found that when googling! Now I feel like I should take sugar in my coffee as well, just to rebel, but I absolutely hate the taste. I think I can do a tassled umbrella, though!

fftopic: I long for a tassled umbrella, Paragon Fox do a nice one.

 

[Big Bertie]

Correct way according to whom?

http://www.debretts.com/etiquette/food-and-drink/tea.aspx

It just is - let Debretts say what they like!

 

[Flicka]

It just is - let Debretts say what they like!

But really, the correct thing to do is to drink coffee.

 

[Big Bertie]

But really, the correct thing to do is to drink coffee.

Both is better - coffee a.m., tea p.m.

 

[esteban68]

BB is correct, coffee morning...tea 2pm onwards -ish but no hard and fast rules over here anymore so don't believe all you see /hear on tv /media.....hardly anyone uses leaf tea over here anymore, I would guess tea bags make up 70%+ of sales so PG Tips, Yorkshire tea, Twinnings English breakfast, Ringtons tea etc etc.