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UK question: So, when one has tea, is it generally an afternoon thing? Or is it an all-the-time thing? Like say you went over to someone's house in the morning, would you have tea? Or would it be weird to say you're going to someone's house for tea in the morning? It makes no matter to me one way or the other, I just need to know how to word something.

This was the episode where the Doctor extracts a toothbrush from his coat and hands it to Martha, right? Was there something special about the toothbrush? I seem to recall that it wasn't an ordinary toothbrush, but can't remember exactly. (And The Shakespeare Code transcript isn't up yet.)

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Tea is a 'whenever you feel like having a cup of tea' thing in the UK, generally. I don't know anybody that only has it in the afternoon. It's not at all odd to go to somebody's house for tea in the morning. In fact, I pretty much can't start my day without a cup of tea :)

Okay, cool. Thanks!!

as far as i know , "to have tea" means a small meal (bread,biscuits,tea) around 5-6pm.
you can have a cup of tea anytime in the idea but the traditional time for tea is in the afternoon.
and i suppose it would be rather odd to say you're going for tea with someone at 10am, but if you do go and visit someone at that hour, chances are, they'll offer you tea.

Maybe I should be wording it "have a cup of tea" instead of "have tea"...

The toothbrush was Venusian spearmint or something along those lines. He sort of mumbles it.

And I likey the new colors of your layout. I really want to paint my bedroom a teal-ish color. Like Martha's flat but not quite as bright. And the brown goes well with it, which I wouldn't have thought, but it does.

The toothbrush was Venusian spearmint or something along those lines. He sort of mumbles it.

I thought it was something like that, but couldn't quite remember. It was *different* and alien though, wasn't it? Not that I need to know every specific detail about the toothbrush - just that it was "alien."

And I likey the new colors of your layout. I really want to paint my bedroom a teal-ish color. Like Martha's flat but not quite as bright. And the brown goes well with it, which I wouldn't have thought, but it does.

Thanks! I changed things around to match my new default icon. :D

Good match! :)

I have to say, the icon is adorableness squared. He looks harmless enough, but one gets the impression if someone were to troll your journal, he'd go medieval on their butt.

Oh, it'd totally turn into an attack hamster. :D

I incapable of functioning unless I have a cup of tea in the morning. A lot of people are like this. We always have tea with breakfast and pretty much everyone is like this. We also have a cup after lunch and after dinner. And at random intervals in the day if we feel like a sit down.

I'm also apparently incapable of typing.

This calls for tea.

Excellent! Just wanted to make sure that it wasn't plain wrong to have tea in the morning. :D

If it's an invitation type thing you're wording, it's much more often said "do you want to come over for a coffee" than "for tea".

Though tea is definatley and all the time thing. My dad drinks about 6 pints of tea a day, starting first thing in the morning till last thing at night(and that's no exaggeration - he actually drinks it in pint sized mugs).

If it's an invitation type thing you're wording, it's much more often said "do you want to come over for a coffee" than "for tea".

Oh, hmm. Although, there wasn't actually an invitation given... It's hard to explain. :D

Though tea is definatley and all the time thing. My dad drinks about 6 pints of tea a day, starting first thing in the morning till last thing at night(and that's no exaggeration - he actually drinks it in pint sized mugs).

WOW!

The first thing most people say when someone comes to visit them is "Do you want a cup of tea?" whatever the time of day. But I agree with what someone else said above, to meet someone for tea means meeting them for the evening meal/dinner. If you were meeting someone away from your house, you'd go for a coffee regardless of the drink. People definitely pop round for a cuppa :o)

Ok I need to go have one now, you've put me in the mood!!

I would just like to declare my love; for your icon, and for Hob Nobs. YUMMY.

Hee! Feel free to steal it as I made it :) Hobnobs are the best of biscuits!!

Thanks! I've changed the wording a bit, saying 'have a cup of tea' instead of 'going for tea.' Which sounds correct, based on you all's comments.

The toothbrush 'contains Venusian spearmint.' It otherwise looks like a normal, clear-handled toothbrush with white bristles.

When the DH and I went to the UK in 2001, afternoon/high tea (the meal) was served from about 3-4 pm 'til around 6. As far as just having a cuppa, that seemed to go on morning, noon and night (if you weren't the type to switch over to more adult beverages after a certain hour).

The toothbrush 'contains Venusian spearmint.' It otherwise looks like a normal, clear-handled toothbrush with white bristles.

Woo! Confirmation! *adds Venusian spearmint to fic*

When the DH and I went to the UK in 2001, afternoon/high tea (the meal) was served from about 3-4 pm 'til around 6. As far as just having a cuppa, that seemed to go on morning, noon and night (if you weren't the type to switch over to more adult beverages after a certain hour).

This was definitely not the formal use - Sarah Jane gets dropped in on. :D

Anytime is tea time! :D

Personally I find myself wanting tea at really odd times - not often, I'm more of a coffee person. My housemate had tea ALL the time. Like, 10 cups at day at least.

WOW!! I can't imagine drinking 10 cups of anything a day! :D

We drink tea. Constantly. Morning, noon, and night.

If you word it as "going over for tea", that would read like they were "going over for dinner". As weird as this may be, I would actually word it "go over for a coffee". Everybody I know says that, and I don't think any of them ever even drink coffee. It's always tea they drink when they "go for a coffee". Because we're weird like that.

I just tried to work out when I drink tea, and I got very scared by the fact that I reached twelve mugs before dinner, and had to stop counting.

Oh, how funny! It sounds a bit like many Southern Californians (and maybe other regions) that say "want a Coke?" which means really "want a soda?" Heh. So sometimes you'll get "what kind of Coke do you want?" "Um...root beer." :D

As far as I'm concerned, if you don't have a cup of tea in your hand then there is something wrong with you!

The first thing I drink in the morning is a cup of tea then the first thing I drink when I get into work is a cup of tea. I then stop for a cup of tea 5-6 times throughout the day (and since I don't even stop for LUNCH that says something). Then the first thing I do when I get home is make a pot of tea. Then I'll have a cup of tea with my dinner. Then before I go to bed. Maybe a few between.

As for a social thing, if you visit someone it is only polite to offer them a beverage. A cup of tea (or the option of coffee) is normally first on the list, and the offer is normally the first thing said after 'Hello'! Friends/neighbours will often invite people over with the promise of a cuppa. 'Popping in for a cuppa?' or 'Fancy a cup of tea?' are used probably more than 'Popping round for a chat?' or 'Fancy a natter?'. It's also the first thing we offer visitors at my work. A cup of tea is pretty worked into the British psyche, although it is starting to be more of a 'tea or coffee' thing.

Although, having read the other comments and their preference for 'coffee' in the wording, I wonder if it's affected by different regions? Everyone I know uses 'tea' before 'coffee' in invitations/suggestions for beverage etc. Maybe I'm affected by living out in the countryside where coffee shops are few and far between!

*goes and puts the kettle on*

~~and if you thought I prattled on long enough about tea then, be glad you didn't bring up the proper way to MAKE tea!~~

As far as I'm concerned, if you don't have a cup of tea in your hand then there is something wrong with you!

HA!

The first thing I drink in the morning is a cup of tea then the first thing I drink when I get into work is a cup of tea. I then stop for a cup of tea 5-6 times throughout the day (and since I don't even stop for LUNCH that says something). Then the first thing I do when I get home is make a pot of tea. Then I'll have a cup of tea with my dinner. Then before I go to bed. Maybe a few between.

WOW!!

As for a social thing, if you visit someone it is only polite to offer them a beverage. A cup of tea (or the option of coffee) is normally first on the list, and the offer is normally the first thing said after 'Hello'! Friends/neighbours will often invite people over with the promise of a cuppa. 'Popping in for a cuppa?' or 'Fancy a cup of tea?' are used probably more than 'Popping round for a chat?' or 'Fancy a natter?'. It's also the first thing we offer visitors at my work. A cup of tea is pretty worked into the British psyche, although it is starting to be more of a 'tea or coffee' thing.

I think I really love that. :) It's just so...nice!

Although, having read the other comments and their preference for 'coffee' in the wording, I wonder if it's affected by different regions? Everyone I know uses 'tea' before 'coffee' in invitations/suggestions for beverage etc. Maybe I'm affected by living out in the countryside where coffee shops are few and far between!

Could possibly be. I commented above about the different use of the word Coke and soda in the U.S. in different regions.

~~and if you thought I prattled on long enough about tea then, be glad you didn't bring up the proper way to MAKE tea!~~

Is it bad that I'm sorta curious about this now?

In a moment of boredom, after discovering I could make polls on LJ, I made poll on the proper way to make a cup of typical English Tea.

http://selenityshiroi.livejournal.com/47640.html

And I do drink a lot of tea! It's helped by the fact that we have an automated staff drinks machine at work for 5 pence a cup ( about 10 US cents). It means I can have a cup of tea in hand in 20 seconds for throwaway money!

Hee! And wow - I'd probably be throwing dimes at a machine for tea too!

When I go to England or Vancouver, Canada, someone is always offering me tea. (except for Suz, who does not drink it!).

Awww! :)

I have just spent the weekend in London with someone I met through DW fandom and she has a sonic toothbrush. It doesn't unlock doors, though.

I think the Doctor keeps a few spares for when he ends up sharing rooms with people who didn't bring any luggage (which must happen regularly given his lifestyle) but for his own dental hygiene he just has a dedicated setting on the screwdriver, and it allows him to choose between jam and chocolate toothpaste without ever suffering from tooth decay.

I have just spent the weekend in London with someone I met through DW fandom and she has a sonic toothbrush. It doesn't unlock doors, though.

*snickers*

I think the Doctor keeps a few spares for when he ends up sharing rooms with people who didn't bring any luggage (which must happen regularly given his lifestyle) but for his own dental hygiene he just has a dedicated setting on the screwdriver, and it allows him to choose between jam and chocolate toothpaste without ever suffering from tooth decay.

HA!!! I think I'm adopting that as personal canon now...

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