My interest in all things to do with tea has developed since I moved to Germany and I want to dedicate one side of my blog to my take on tea. I have had fun researching this topic and hope to post regularly on “Time 4 Tea” . All definitions are based on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
Teacup: “a cup from which tea is drunk”. A teacup has usually got a handle and sits on a saucer.
In my office where I teach English I have a small collection of vintage teacups and saucers which I use to serve my customers tea. In my opinion there is nothing more English than drinking tea from a bone china teacup.
Teacups come in a variety of colours and designs. Just turn over a cup to see where it was made. Most English porcelain was manufactured in the Staffordshire Potteries, by such famous companies as Wedgwood, Spode and Doulton. After the introduction of Afternoon Tea in the mid 1800s, there was high demand for fine bone tea sets. Even today there has been a revival.
There are a number of idioms or phrases relating to a teacup:
“It’s not my cup of tea” means that you don’t like something or you are not interested in it.
Example: ” Some people love watching football, but it’s not my cup of tea.“
“A storm in a teacup” means that there is a lot of excitement about an unimportant thing.
Example: “After our argument, we agreed it was not serious and that it was only a storm in a teacup“
Have you ever heard of a “teacup dog”? This expression is new to me. It is a puppy or dog which is so small that it fits in a teacup. These undersize dogs are often sold at a high price because they look so cute but may have health problems.
If you feel inspired, why not have your own tea party like in Alice in Wonderland or Downton Abbey.
It’s never too late! There’s always time for tea.
