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Original poster

Having ‘a cuppa’

537 replies

ConstantlyFuriosa · 19/04/2026 10:49

Why does this sentence infuriate me so? I already know I’m probably being unreasonable but it’s so grating. I can’t be the only one?

OP posts:
OonaStubbs · 19/04/2026 18:46

It reminds me of the PG tips advert where one of the chips asks "Avec vous un cuppa"?

usedtobeaylis · 19/04/2026 18:37

Haven't RTFT but yep, cuppa. Or brew. And Corrie.

BananaPeels · 19/04/2026 18:34

BringBackCatsEyes · 19/04/2026 18:32

Not everywhere it's not. In many places tea is a meal.

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Tea is and has always been the evening meal.

dinner can be at lunch or at tea time depending on when you have the main meal of the day!

BringBackCatsEyes · 19/04/2026 18:33

Hellohelga · 19/04/2026 18:11

At home we have “posh” fish and chips - fried sea bass fried with oven chips.

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Ohhhh fancy!

BringBackCatsEyes · 19/04/2026 18:32

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 19/04/2026 18:31

No because tea isn’t a meal unless it’s afternoon tea

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Not everywhere it's not. In many places tea is a meal.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 19/04/2026 18:31

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 16:19

Surely 'a tea' is to differentiate from appearing to offer someone food?

No because tea isn’t a meal unless it’s afternoon tea

PuzzlesintheMorning · 19/04/2026 18:30

SALaw · 19/04/2026 16:59

Because if I say to my family “don’t fancy takeaway fish and chips?” the answers will be “no I want takeaway sausage and chips”, “no I want takeaway haggis and chips” and “no I want takeaway burger and chips”. Whereas if I say “do you want a chippy tea?” they will all say yes and give me their order? What don’t you understand?

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"Takeaway fish and chips" means fish and chips, or anything else available in the fish and chip shop, surely.

Or would you say "You can't have sausage and chips, because although the fish and chip shop sells sausages you can only have fish and chips unless I list every item on the menu when describing the kind of takeaway you can buy in a fish and chip shop".

"Takeaway fish and chips" works very well in our family, because everyone knows exactly what's available in the fish and chip shop.

Hellohelga · 19/04/2026 18:21

LakieLady · 19/04/2026 17:14

I used to find "cuppa" really irritating, but I've seen it so often on here it doesn't bother me any more.

"Holibobs", on the other hand, is an abomination and should be banned.

Holibobs is reserved for the doggos as it sounds better than doggie prison (kennels).

Hellohelga · 19/04/2026 18:16

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 15:12

Oh Haha. Just remembered my dad said 'din dins'. There's one for you OP!

That must come from posh childhoods. (his dad was a motorbike mechanic as it goes but my gran tried to pretend otherwise- presumably by sending my dad to a fee paying school where people said din dins for evening meals.)

That’s insane, everyone knows din dins is only for dogs.

Hellohelga · 19/04/2026 18:11

BringBackCatsEyes · 19/04/2026 14:50

The chip van's in the village, shall we get fish and chips?
Let's get fish and chips on the way home.
Here's some money, go and get fish and chips love.
Can't be arsed cooking, shall we have fish and chips?

If I said we were going to have fish and chips for dinner they'd know I was not cooking them because I don't think I've ever cooked fish and chips. I've cooked fish and I've cooked fish, but not together.

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At home we have “posh” fish and chips - fried sea bass fried with oven chips.

aredrosegrewup · 19/04/2026 17:45

ConstantlyFuriosa · 19/04/2026 10:49

Why does this sentence infuriate me so? I already know I’m probably being unreasonable but it’s so grating. I can’t be the only one?

You'd hate me OP. My morning cuppa is the first thing I think about when I open my eyes on a morning! I am northern though, quite a normal term round these parts.

LakieLady · 19/04/2026 17:14

I used to find "cuppa" really irritating, but I've seen it so often on here it doesn't bother me any more.

"Holibobs", on the other hand, is an abomination and should be banned.

ACIGC · 19/04/2026 17:07

SadBoys · 19/04/2026 11:42

If I had to choose, I’d take ‘cuppa’ over ‘brew’, but I irrationally dislike both, I think because of unpleasant associations with UK soap operas.

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I think I became infected by "brew" when I went to Uni in the northwest.

Hernameisdeborah · 19/04/2026 17:06

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 19/04/2026 16:58

Not as bad as a post recently which used the word ‘smallies’ to describe children 🤮🤮🤮🤮

🤮🤮🤮🤮

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 17:03

Us Scots will start discussing pokes next!

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 17:02

No, I just meant that the phrase chippy tea isn't used everywhere.

SALaw · 19/04/2026 17:01

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 17:00

Many many places! But mainly West Glasgow. Then I was in York where again the norm was always fish ( haddock mainly). Then I moved more south ( Notts) and people were having saveloy and pies and gravy and mushy peas.
And kebabs.

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Well as I say chippies in the 80s in sticks Scotland where I grew up had a varied menu. Well varied to the extent that it was all deep fried and served with chips, obviously.

SALaw · 19/04/2026 17:00

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 16:56

I guess so but chippy tea is really quite region specific, I think.

I would never have got anything except fish and chips so it was always for everyone a fish supper, specifically on a Friday.

Chippies in your region only sell fish?! They don’t have a big menu?!

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 17:00

SALaw · 19/04/2026 16:49

where did you come to England from?

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Many many places! But mainly West Glasgow. Then I was in York where again the norm was always fish ( haddock mainly). Then I moved more south ( Notts) and people were having saveloy and pies and gravy and mushy peas.
And kebabs.

SALaw · 19/04/2026 16:59

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 16:57

Did you not have a fish supper then?

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Yes but other people had eg haggis supper.

SALaw · 19/04/2026 16:59

PuzzlesintheMorning · 19/04/2026 16:50

I don't understand why that's complicated.

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Because if I say to my family “don’t fancy takeaway fish and chips?” the answers will be “no I want takeaway sausage and chips”, “no I want takeaway haggis and chips” and “no I want takeaway burger and chips”. Whereas if I say “do you want a chippy tea?” they will all say yes and give me their order? What don’t you understand?

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 19/04/2026 16:58

Not as bad as a post recently which used the word ‘smallies’ to describe children 🤮🤮🤮🤮

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 16:57

SALaw · 19/04/2026 16:55

Well I’m 47 and every chippy in sticks of Scotland I grew up in had a menu with a choice of items.

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Did you not have a fish supper then?

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 16:56

I guess so but chippy tea is really quite region specific, I think.

I would never have got anything except fish and chips so it was always for everyone a fish supper, specifically on a Friday.

SALaw · 19/04/2026 16:55

Piggywaspushed · 19/04/2026 15:51

Yes, I am! To be fair, I grew up in a dry district - so no pubs and no chip shops for miles. But if someone said they were going to a chip shop they were 'away for a Fish Supper.'

I think the burgers and stuff are quite new to chip shops, no?

There were also had a lot of Chinese Chippies on the south side of Glasgow (I wasn't south but my best friend was). That was just for chips.

I have indeed had a deep fried Mars Bar. Think they were invented on the Byres Road. Do Not Recommend.

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Well I’m 47 and every chippy in sticks of Scotland I grew up in had a menu with a choice of items.