Culture Brief: To get a cup of coffee, say it right!

A past client at Confident Speech once expressed his frustration with buying coffee.  Every day on his way to work, he would stop to buy a cup of coffee to take with him.  Although he spoke English with an accent, he was not difficult to understand. Why did the counter person never seem to understand him?

We asked him to tell us what he was saying.  “Regular coffee,” he said. His pronunciation was clear enough. What, then, was the problem?

The problem is that regular coffee, no matter how clearly it is pronounced, has many different meanings.  Years ago, in New England, before all kinds of espresso drinks became popular in the United States, regular coffee meant traditional American brewed coffee with both cream and sugar.  Now, however, people understand many different things by regular coffee.  Here are some examples of what people mean by regular coffee:

Traditional American brew (not espresso type)
Not decaffeinated
Black (no sugar or cream)
With cream/milk
With cream/milk and sugar
Regular size (not large)
Without additional flavoring
Hot, not iced

So, what is the correct way to order coffee?  Obviously, avoid using the word regular! Tell the server exactly how you want it. If the server adds the cream and sweetener, be clear!  Tell the server if you want a lot of cream (or milk) or just a little.  Here are some examples:

I’ll have a large black decaf, please.
A medium coffee, light (with cream), with no sugar, please.
A small coffee, dark, with two sugars, please.  
A small coffee, with skim milk, dark, with Splenda, please.

For specialty coffees, you may find that each store or chain of stores has its own particular customs.  For example, you will need to ask for espresso, cappuccino, or latte. You may need to say what size, whether you want “decaf,” how many shots (measures) of ground coffee you want, and whether you have special requests such as soy milk or non-fat (skim) milk instead of whole milk.  Here are some examples:

I’ll have a large soy decaf latte, please.
I’ll have an espresso, two shots, please (or a “double espresso.”)
A medium decaf cappuccino, please.

For many people, having a cup of coffee is an essential pleasure. Be clear, and you’ll get what you want!  

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