Making the tea

In British offices, the perfect cup of tea is on everyone’s agenda…

Conversation at the office

Rosie: Right, whose turn is it to do the tea run?

Jim: Well I see that Dave’s made himself a cuppa without asking anyone else if they wanted something. So much for the team-building exercise we did this morning!

Rosie: He won’t be getting one of my chocolate digestives, then! Anyway, Jim, do you want ordinary or Earl Grey?

Jim: Actually, I’ve given up caffeine. Here - I’ve got my own peppermint tea bags. I’m beginning to quite like these herbal teas!

Rosie: Yes, I’m having a raspberry-flavoured tea myself. Is your mug in the kitchen?

Jim: Well I couldn’t find it this morning. It will be on some tea leaf’s desk...

Rosie: Don’t worry, I’ll get a spare one out of the cupboard and, yes, before you ask, I’ll make sure I wash and rinse it properly! Where’s Charlotte?

Jim: She’s in a meeting with Toby but she always has white coffee with one sugar - that’s her mug - the Manchester United one over there. Oh, and don’t forget she’s allergic to dairy products. She keeps her soya milk in the fridge.

Rosie: OK. I might as well make Toby one, too, he’s a tea drinker, isn’t he?

Jim: Certainly is! He likes Breakfast Blend, with the milk in first - he has semi-skimmed - and the tea bag taken out really quickly. It has to be weak for him to touch it. If you make it too strong he’ll complain that it’s builders’ tea!

Rosie: Honestly! If people are going to be so fussy about it, they should make their own.

Jim: Well, at least doing the tea full gives you an opportunity to improve all that inter-departmental liaison that we were told about this morning.

Rosie: How’s that?

Jim: I always get chatting to someone while the kettle is boiling!

Words and phrases from the dialogue

do the tea run = aller préparer le thé

cuppa = (familier) tasse de thé

chocolate digestives = biscuits au chocolat

peppermint tea bags = sachets de thé à la menthe

herbal tea = infusion/tisane

raspberry-flavoured tea = thé à la framboise

tea leaf = (argot britannique) voleur

a spare one = un autre

cupboard = placard

dairy products = produits laitiers

soya milk = lait de soja

fridge = frigo

semi-skimmed = lait demi-écrémé

weak = léger

strong = fort

fussy = pointilleux

while the kettle is boiling = pendant que l’eau chauffe dans la bouilloire

builder’s tea = thè très fort (comme celui que boivent les ouvriers)

Other tea-making words and phrases

caffeine-free = décaféiné

finest blend = mélange supérieur

full-fat milk, full-cream milk = lait entier

I’ll just put the kettle on = Je vais mettre l’eau à chauffer

tea strainer = passoire

skimmed milk = lait écrémé

sugar lump = morceau de sucre

sweetener = édulcorant

tea break = pause-thé

tea cosy = couvre-théière

tea leaf, tea leaves = feuille(s) de thé

teapot = théière

tea trolley = table roulante

green tea = thé vert

Here are some more useful phrases for doing the tea run:

Do you take yours white or black?

How many sugars?

How strong do you like your tea?

Do you want the bag left in?

I’m going to need a tray to carry ail these mugs

It’s your turn to make the tea today

Do you know where I’ll find a spoon?

I’m afraid my mug needs washing

I think it’s time we had a tea break!

Tea’s up = (familier) Le thé est prêt