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Original poster

"Just a cup of tea"

23 replies

ElizabethinherGermanGarden · 26/12/2019 21:35

This is very minor and lighthearted - I'm lucky with the general loveliness of the people around me for Christmas - but this is doing my head in!

Me: I'm getting myself a glass of water, would you like one?
Them: Just a cup of tea please.

Me: Who fancies a beer/glass of wine/champagne/orange juice?
Them: Just a cup of tea please.

Why 'just'? When a cup of tea obviously takes five times as long to prep than proffered cold drink?

OP posts:

Obsidian77 · 26/12/2019 21:37

completely agree

worriedandannoyed · 26/12/2019 21:38

Yes, I had this yesterday. And someone asking for one when I'd made for others (and offered to them!) 20 mins before hand! And whilst trying to cook dinner. Next year I'm not hosting any tea drinkers 😂

Thestral · 26/12/2019 21:40

Oh my god yes. In-laws are arriving tomorrow, so it'll be 48 hours of that shit. They also wait until I've just sat down to comment that they might just possibly fancy a cup. Because when I asked them, they just weren't thirsty.

HomeAlone39 · 26/12/2019 21:41

I wouldn't say it for the water one.... I'd just have water too . But I might inadvertently use the word 'just' if it was against an alcoholic drink- as in I won't take an expensive drink that you might potentially have to open a bottle for, I'll just use a little teabag . But yeah, it does take longer to make and is a bit more annoying. Then again, it lasts longer and you're unlikely to have 5 cups of tea, as opposed to 5 beers

Original poster

ElizabethinherGermanGarden · 26/12/2019 21:41

Thestral 😂

OP posts:

halocompanach · 26/12/2019 21:43

Are they making a passive aggressive point about not drinking alcohol?

Lulualla · 26/12/2019 21:45

When these people ask within 20 minutes of being offered, why dont you say "I just offered and you say no. I'm not getting up again now".

Original poster

ElizabethinherGermanGarden · 26/12/2019 21:47

Halo I don't think so. There's been no passive aggression at all. They're lovely. They just really like fucking tea! Grrrr 😖

OP posts:

Livpool · 26/12/2019 21:49

Buy a thermos and give them some lovely, stewed tea made hours ago every time they ask

Pumpitt · 26/12/2019 21:51

I understand it as them stopping you from further suggesting other stuff as i i just literally want a cup of tea. Nothing else, dont offer or ask any more.

halocompanach · 26/12/2019 21:59

They just really like fucking tea! Grrrr 😖

I'm with them on that one. I think I'd suggest they'd like to make their own as they know how they like it. Making a cup of tea can be a right faff, and I say that as a tea drinker.

halocompanach · 26/12/2019 21:59

They just really like fucking tea! Grrrr 😖

I'm with them on that one. I think I'd suggest they'd like to make their own as they know how they like it. Making a cup of tea can be a right faff, and I say that as a tea drinker.

babycatcher411 · 26/12/2019 22:08

As a big tea drinker, I’m probably guilty of this.
As with PP I wouldn’t say it when water is offered, but if anything more fancy, particularly alcohol, is offered I might say it.
But more so almost in a self-depreciating way, as in I’m a boring sod who doesn’t drink alcohol, so I’ll just have tea because is simple and cheap, and boring, but I would like to think more often than not I would ask for the cuppa, not assume it’s an acceptable alternative for what was offered.
I’m forever now going to notice if I say just a cup of tea please🙈

BlankTimes · 26/12/2019 22:12

@Thestral

You need to pre-empt that.

Brew a pot of tea every time just before you sit down.
tell them there's one in the pot and they are welcome to help themselves.

HomeAlone39 · 26/12/2019 22:13

babycatcher I've just asked DH to make me one while he was getting himself a glass of water to see what kind of reaction it provoked😂😂😂

Thestral · 26/12/2019 22:20

@BlankTimes - I'd have to buy a pot first to do that!

Actually, that makes me wonder - DH and I don't drink tea (but obviously have the stuff here to make it for guests) so maybe that's why it's more annoying to have to go through the palaver of making it!

PhilomenaChristmasPie · 26/12/2019 22:26

Are they Irish?

TheBigFatMermaid · 26/12/2019 22:29

*When these people ask within 20 minutes of being offered, why dont you say "I just offered and you say no. I'm not getting up again now""

Oh, I've just sat down, feel free to help yourself! That's good hosting, making them feel at home enough to help themselves!

Babybel90 · 26/12/2019 22:49

Just make a pot and leave it in the room so they can pour themselves one when they inevitably decide they want one when you’ve just sat down.

peanutfoldover · 26/12/2019 22:52

Get an urn.

user1471549213 · 26/12/2019 23:04

My in-laws arrived 50 minutes late for breakfast on Christmas morning. Everything bar the eggs had been ready for 50 mins and going cold so as I'm frantically making fried eggs for all, FIL says oh I'm not really hungry I'll just have a cup of tea. Eh I'm a bit fucking busy right now.

We sit down tea made, eating away then he says oh I might just have a bacon sambo.

I'm 39 weeks pregnant, have held off breakfast for them, they arrived so late I was past the point of hunger but still ate something then it decided to come back up as I'd taken my iron on an empty stomach assuming I would eat shortly.

Then as I'm upstairs clearly unwell trying to get 2 young kids ready to go to my parents I hear them out making more tea and sitting down to have it with cake.

F off home and make all the tea you like. And yes DH was helping me and fuming with them but didn't want to start a row on Xmas morning.

MintyMabel · 26/12/2019 23:43

Are they making a passive aggressive point about not drinking alcohol?

What a stupid suggestion. I don't drink alcohol. If I ask for tea, it's because I want tea.

If your guests are choosing tea over a cold soft drink it's because your soft drink options are shit. In my experience it's coke or water. Neither of which I particularly enjoy.

BackforGood · 27/12/2019 00:09

I'm with @babycatcher411

I might say "Just" a cup of tea, as in - "I can't drink anymore alcohol at the moment, so I'll have a cup of tea"

It's not in any way passive aggressive - we must have a different definition of that - it is saying "I'm not on the alcohol at the moment"

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