Why is this usage of tea so confusing for everybody? We re-use words all the time in English. It’s a very simple concept. Imagine if a musician asked about the key of a song and everybody was like “KEY? LIKE A CAR KEY? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SONGS DONT HAVE KEYS! IVE NEVER BEEN SO CONFUSED IN MY LIFE”
Up north we say “tea” for evening meal. That’s it. Explanation sorted.
Ok it was a deliberately silly example for emphasis. Here’s a real example. I went to Australia once and in the airport somebody referred to my Mentos as “lolly”. To me, lollies are on a stick. Apparently not to aussies. It threw me off for half a second, but that’s it. Confused is an overstatement.
Yeah but the context clues are a hell of a lot easier there. You’re holding an object, and if someone called it a chupa-chupa or a sucker most people would be able to put that together pretty easily
Now imagine you’re going through stretches and someone walks in and is like “oh, playing football are you”. You could be preparing to go outside and play football… But you’re just stretching
I think most people would be confused by that unexpected second meaning of a familiar word
Why is this usage of tea so confusing for everybody? We re-use words all the time in English. It’s a very simple concept. Imagine if a musician asked about the key of a song and everybody was like “KEY? LIKE A CAR KEY? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SONGS DONT HAVE KEYS! IVE NEVER BEEN SO CONFUSED IN MY LIFE”
Up north we say “tea” for evening meal. That’s it. Explanation sorted.
Terrible example and it’s just demonstrating that you can’t put yourself in someone else’s shoes for even a moment.
You understand that usage of tea because you used it your entire life, someone who hasn’t would rightfully be confused.
Ok it was a deliberately silly example for emphasis. Here’s a real example. I went to Australia once and in the airport somebody referred to my Mentos as “lolly”. To me, lollies are on a stick. Apparently not to aussies. It threw me off for half a second, but that’s it. Confused is an overstatement.
Yeah but the context clues are a hell of a lot easier there. You’re holding an object, and if someone called it a chupa-chupa or a sucker most people would be able to put that together pretty easily
Now imagine you’re going through stretches and someone walks in and is like “oh, playing football are you”. You could be preparing to go outside and play football… But you’re just stretching
I think most people would be confused by that unexpected second meaning of a familiar word
Yeah, but as someone who grew up down south and has lived in the north for the majority of my life:
Very clear, no fucker doesn’t know what you’re talking about
What the fuck are you playing at, skipping lunch and having a drink to compensate?
Get in the sea
Tea is important enough in this country to not use the word again, especially not for the second most important thing: dinner
Dinner is at midday, what are you playing at having 2 meals at midday and no evening meal? Get back to France
I am also someone who grew up down south and we always had breakfast, lunch and tea \o/
Isn’t “key” for a lock like, as old as modern English?
It’s ok how much you like tea. I’m sorry they hurt you about it. Tea is super neat and fun and good. You are super neat and fun and good.
But when my Irish friend wants to smoke a cigarette, everybody loses their fucking mind.
It still confuses me that I can have a cup of coffee with somebody without actually drinking coffee. (In English and my mother tongue as well.)