Took me ages to work out what this John Lewis voucher was saying

[MirandaGoshawk]

They used to give one voucher per month for tea & cake. New voucher well actually it's valid from 15/9 to 31/10 but I've only just found it in a heap of junk says "Enjoy a regular hot drink and cake" and then further down, repeats that and says, "or, an exclusive JL tote bag".

So I was thinking, how regular is regular? Every day? Every hour? No indication in the small print. How very generous. But how many tote bags - one only, surely?

Then light dawned. Regular as in medium, small, whatever regular means. Shouldn't they have said regular-sized, or AIBU?

I think you should have presented yourself and voucher punctually at 11am each day for a week.

Why they can't just say 'small, medium, large' or better yet just 'cup or mug' I don't know. Don't get me started on 'tall' etc.

I think regular, in this sense of ordinary, standard or normal, is an Americanism only recently adopted in the UK. It is confusing in this sense, so I think you're quite right to be confused!

Used to be small, medium and large-sized coffee!

I totally agree, but in the case of John Lewis/Waitrose group, card carrying customers are entitled to a free cup of tea or coffee every day regardless of purchase.

Therefore you could present yourself regularly (daily) for your regular (sized) free drink.

ps. I despise the use of the word 'tote' for a bag. In my day Totes was a brand of thick socks. And nothing more.

Thank you all for agreeing with me! I have no problem with new usage well yes I do, actually, but don't want to seem a dinosaur but it has to be easy to understand, otherwise it defeats the object of communication.

I have to admit that I have a JL card but have only ever made one purchase - kitchen mugs and they were an anniversary present to DH . I went into the new JL store in Exeter when it opened and overheard someone saying that she needed a new rug for the dog and that they had one for £70. I had just bought one in Primark for £6! Maybe I'm not their natural demographic.

Interesting. I'm American. "Regular" in US food choices usually means standard as in content rather than size. A "regular" Coke means a full-sugar Coke; regular coffee means with caffeine. Small, medium, and large are used for size.

Really? That is interesting - new to me. So JL have got it doubly wrong. you can bet that they won't have decaff or whatever, i.e. non-regular!

Oh I thought it meant regular as in once a week or whatever and was wondering how they would regulate (!) that. I obviously have a small brain and use it to parse (wrongly) the wording on JL vouchers.

Good example of US usage:

www.medicaldaily.com/diet-soda-vs-regular-soda-one-worse-you-other-308063

I do believe their coffee are sized regular and large. And they do have decaf. I have been to redeem my free coffee and cake a few times