Episode 39 The History of Tea - From a British English perspective

This week's episodes are relevant for anyone living in the UK or working with British professionals. Tea is an important part of our working culture and has quite a few points of etiquette, which we will talk about tomorrow and on Thursday. In this episode I give a lot of details about the history of tea from a British perspective. I would like to apologise for the speed of this week's episode. It seems I was really excited to talk about tea...although I have no idea why! I have tried to slow it down and put some extra pauses in. I hope it's Ok for you. Because of my excitement you will find that this week's vocabulary is a bit more relaxed than normal. There are some Americanisms that are unusual to hear from Brits and lots of vocabulary. You can find all of the information I cover in this episode and more, on the website of the UK Tea and Infusions Association. Firstly about the history of tea. Secondly about the social impact of tea. Additional Vocabulary peculiar - unusual, weird, not normal 'we're nuts about it' - 'nuts' usually means crazy. But it can be crazy in a good way: 'She's nuts!' (usually with a smile) When we think someone is behaving in a crazy way but we like it. In a bad way: 'They're nuts!' (usually with anger or shock) When we think someone is behaving in a dangerous or stupid way Or, like in this case, it can just mean 'really really, abnormally, enthusiastic' about something. 'He's nuts about cars!' etiquette - a set of rules and customs for culturally accepted behaviour staffroom/tearoom/lunchroom/kitchen - the place at work where you make your drinks and perhaps also eat your meals y'all - an Americanism mostly from the Southern states of America, it's a shortened version of 'you all' 'You all' doesn't really work in English grammar the way it is used in American. 'Y'all have been making tea for a really long time' In correct English grammar this should be: You have all been making tea for a really long time. OR Chinese people have been making tea for a really long time. In another example example: Y'all are coming to dinner, right? Are you all coming to dinner? In the first we can be talking to one person or a whole family, in the second we understand that we are talking about a lot of people. So, we could say it's a kind of dialect word. Here is what the Urban Dictionary has to say about this very popular American word. I should also mention, this is not a normal word for British people! I have a lot of American friends and so over time I've added this to my vocabulary. I tend to use it for fun or when I get excited... though why I was so excited to be talking about tea remains a mystery. 'tree drinking tend' - sorry about that, I should have said 'tea drinking trend'! at court - this is a phrase we often see when related to royalty in earlier years 'Court' is the group of people (often lower royals or other 'noble' people) who spent time around the king or queen, the 'court' were often the only people a royal family might see, even their servants often came from this group of lower level royals! However it was possible for people (like Shakespeare and his acting group) to come and entertain the court. 'the tax man would pop round' - to 'pop' somewhere in English (especially British English) means to go somewhere quickly, often somewhere close by. A little later I say 'you would pop in' - again meaning go in quickly to jump on a bandwagon - idiom - to join a cause or to follow what many other people are doing 'girl was starving' - Sorry, this is me getting excited and dropping into my daily style of speaking...which isn't quite as professional as I would like!😔 Again, this is an Americanism, and very bad grammar. My apologies. can rival something - when you have something that is similar or at a similar level or quality 'our tea could rival there's'