Coffee Talk
I have a couple of questions about coffee — about the word “coffee,” the ways we use it, not about the beverage itself.
The first one: “coffee black.” I don’t order my coffee in the same style every time; usually I want it with milk and two sugars, but sometimes, I just want the bean juice — no cream, no Splenda, nada nunca. It seems logically as though that is coffee black.
It isn’t, at least in NYC-area delis and restaurants; around here, “coffee black” only means no dairy products, and if I don’t specify “a coffee black, nothing else in it,” the server will add sugar. Even when I’ve specified, the server usually asks, “Sugar?” “Black. Nothing else in it.”
I meant to test the theory that it’s a Gotham regionalism on my road trip, but I’ve conditioned myself so thoroughly to ask for black coffee in that fashion that I never got to test the theory (and I could have just asked people, but I never remembered, because I…needed coffee).
My basis for believing that New York City has its own coffee-ordering m.o. is not the firmest: my mother explained to me once that, “in the city,” “coffee regular” meant cream and sugar. I don’t remember the context of the conversation; I do know that neither of my parents took their coffee that way (half-and-half only — or, as my father rendered it on the shopping list to save time, “1”).
So, English-speakers and -watchers around the globe: discuss. What does “coffee black” mean to you? What does it mean to your local servers? To your parents? What about “coffee regular” — does it mean the same thing in Wichita and Walla Walla? Do we even observe these nuances anymore in the age of Starbucks, the cup of coffee as lifestyle signifier?
The next question addresses what I’ve observed as a regionalism shift. I didn’t do a ton of coffee-getting as a teenager, but as of when I left for college, when I wanted to invite a friend or cute boy to enjoy a caffeinated beverage outside of the home, I said, “Let’s have coffee.” (Or, sometimes, “Let’s ‘do’ coffee,” carefully rendering the verbal air quotes — I think we still thought of that as ironic phrasing then.)
As I got closer with Ernie, a European, I adopted her more British usage of certain terms — “glovebox” (versus “glove compartment”); “have a coffee” or “get a coffee” (versus “have/get coffee,” no article).
My parents would tease me a little for adopting these lexical Ernie-isms, but I’ve noticed over the last few years that that one — “have/get A coffee” — is becoming standard. And if I had to point to a reason, I’d say that it’s the lifestyle-signifier shift I mentioned above; for most of us, twenty years ago, coffee was coffee was coffee, and while you could order it different ways — black, regular, light one sugar — it was still coffee. Nobody had an opinion on the merits of drip vs. percolated that I can remember, although a perk coffeemaker looked impossibly complicated to operate when I was a kid, the domain of grandmas and church kitchens too strapped to upgrade.
Now, nobody doesn’t know what a cappuccino is, what an espresso is, what a French press is. You might not care, but you know these terms, and their contemporary presence everywhere seems to have elevated coffee lexically from a useful beverage to an experience, a mini-event. When you have dinner, that could mean anything from a Michelin-starred steak to microwaved mac-and-cheese; when you have A dinner, that’s something different, with invitations and linen.
Do you still have coffee? Or do you have A coffee? If you have A coffee, is this something you grew up saying, or hearing your parents say? Or did you start saying it in the last five or ten years, without realizing it or knowing why?
Tags: good coffee our friend English r(o)ad trips
Here in Australia, as kellyu says, there’s no such thing as a regular coffee or even just a black coffee. There’s a long black, a short black (which is pretty much the same as an espresso – you could probably just say ‘espresso’), a flat white, a latte, or a cappucino, plus all other fancy ones like mocha etc. I never know whether Americans mean actual cream when they talk about ‘cream and sugar’ with coffee, or whether they mean milk in that context. If you have milk with coffee here it’s made with milk, such as the flat white or latte, it’s only sugar you might add yourself. Among my circle of friends etc ‘go for coffee’ or ‘have coffee’ is pretty much a euphamism for ‘go to a cafe of some kind and enjoy a hot beverage and a snack’. If we are having a similar meetup at each other’s places we say ‘come over for a cuppa’ and mean ‘a cup of tea’, even if the host then makes coffee for each.
I’ve lived in Italy, the midwest, the south, and now have been in the northwest. So far as I’ve experienced, no one adds sugar for you.
And as far as coffee terms are concerned, even the most hardcore coffee drinkers, let alone most servers understand what a macchiato is, even if their establishment uses the term. There’s an actual difference between a macchiato and a caffe latte, however ethereal (macchiato: just a drop of non-foamy milk; caffe latte: half coffee, half milk).
So, RE: Australian / New Zealand coffee orders. If I’m understanding the comments correctly, “flat white” = espresso with additional water plus milk. Is the “flat” part to differentiate from lattes / cappuccinos, where the milk is all frothy? Like the difference between flat and sparkling water?
In Philadelphia and environs, black = no additives, regular = not decaf. I’ve never heard anyone put the adjective after the noun, either.
I worked as a server in Copenhagen, and when people ordered black coffee, I’d always bring them a couple of packets of sugar on the side, just to be sure. It never failed that on the off chance I didn’t, I’d have to run back for it.
What really got me was that sometimes, either out of habit or because people didn’t specify, I’d bring both milk and sugar, and they’d ask me to take it away. Like the presence of milk and sugar next to their cups is somehow detrimental to their coffee experience…
I’m a Navy brat who’s lived all over the country, but I’ve been in Southern California since ’77 and the Los Angeles area since ’81. If we’re at a restaurant we just order coffee, but specify if we want it decaf. The server will usually ask if you want cream, or room for cream, so they know if they should 1) bring cream and 2) leave a little room in the cup for cream, which we add to our own liking. Same with sweetner – they bring it, we add it. Definitely what I prefer since I’m very picky about the amount of creamer (if there is a non-dairy creamer available – I don’t use dairy) and sugar in my coffee.
Seattle, here. Black coffee is black coffee – no sugar, no cream. You do need to ask for room, if you plan on adding cream, otherwise you’ll get a cup filled to the brim. I’ve never seen any place here add sugar for you unless its in the form of a flavor pump.
Of course, in a Starbucks or Tullys or Peets, to get regular coffee as opposed to the various caffeine permutations they serve, you need to ask for a “drip”. It generally will come black automatically unless you specify otherwise. If you ask for “black coffee” sometimes you get that “coffee snob” look. Not always, though. Just depends.
I’m a native Californian who lived in NYC for 10 years. My mother is a New Yorker, so I had heard from her while I was growing up that “regular” coffee meant with cream (milk) and sugar. Only people from NY and nearby states use this particular coffee lingo, as far as I know.
But to clarify, if you go into a Starbucks or similar in NY, it’s as it is elsewhere: dairy and sweeteners on a side table, for you to add or not as you wish; and in any sit-down restaurant of any kind, your coffee will be brought to you black, along with stuff to add as you like. It’s only in delis, bodegas, and Dunkin Donuts-type places that the counter person generally adds dairy and sweeteners for you. A nasty shock for non-locals who order coffee, just by saying “coffee,” are asked, “Regular?” and nod. At one time, it was the norm everywhere you’d get coffee to go. Now, with the “coffee bar” explosion, it’s not so universal.
Or possibly tempting… Can’t have cream/milk in my coffee anymore without repercussions later in the day. Blame the lactose intolerance. But damned if I don’t long for either while having any cup of coffee. I’d probably want milk out of my sight just so I don’t do something stupid like having it when I can’t. =P
I grew up in New York City and coffee and tea both have the problem if just ordered, of coming with milk and a lot of sugar. I’ve found ordering it “plain” usually does the trick.
@lizb’s notes match with my experience, though I would say it’s not pretty much everywhere, not just Dunkin’.
A similar article-or-not usage from Australia: down there sports teams’ names are preceded by ‘the’ regardless of the context, so when you’re cheering your team on it’s ‘Go the Sox!’ instead of ‘Go Sox!’ It never stopped sounding funny to my ears.
I neither “have coffee” nor “have a coffee”, probably because I…don’t like coffee. But I’ll tell you this, my understanding growing up in rural Michigan was that “black coffee” (we don’t say “coffee black”) is a cup containing coffee, only coffee, nothing but coffee.
@LaSalleUGirl:
Flat white=espresso + (some) milk
Cafe latte (now more commonly known as latte)=espresso + 2/3 milk
Cappuccino=espresso + 1/3 milk + 1/3 foam
At least in theory. In practice they can all end up very similar.
3rd-5th generation Montanan here (depending on who you ask) with family scattered around the northwest. I’m not a coffee drinker, but everyone I know is. It’s always been my understanding that “black” meant “just coffee, nothing else,” and “regular” meant “not decaf.” If someone orders coffee with cream at the table after dinner, it usually means they get a cup of plain/black/regular/whatever coffee with about half an inch of space at the top, and the server brings a small container of cream separate from the coffee so the drinker can add the amount they like. If there’s no sweetener at the table, they’ll usually bring a box of sugar, Equal, Sweet n Low, and Splenda packets whether someone asks for it or not. We’re kind of DIY folk, I guess.
Incidentally, I had a self-described barista friend in high school who referred to his customers by their ordering preferences. He’d point them out in public — “hey, there’s Triple Soy Decaf Mocha with Equal!” As a result, I’ve always equated elaborate coffee ordering with pretentiousness. The local types just order “coffee” and add whatever to it once it hits the table.
As for asking someone out, I’ve never heard anyone say “get A coffee,” and they usually specify a shop or hut instead of just asking about coffee in general. “Wanna get Leaf and Bean after class?” I think the assumption is that A) the inviter may want to sound more local by namedropping a non-chain, and B) not everyone likes coffee, so it gives the recipient of the offer an opportunity to redirect to someplace that serves sandwiches or beer or whatever.
In my experience, asking someone to your place after a date is less specific and more direct. “So, my place, y/n?”
Also, “creek” is pronounced “crick.” Just sayin’.
I can’t speak to the coffee black question, cause it’s been a while since I’ve been anywhere that didn’t make you put your own in (haven’t hit a lot of drive thrus, I guess). Plus, I usually get lattes. But to me, getting “a coffee” speaks directly to the whole Starbucks culture – that green and white cup you’re carrying around isn’t just coffee, it’s an item, a unit – “a coffee.” Probably, too, it comes from asking about other coffee beverages – you pick your friend up “a latte” or “a cappuccino” or “an espresso.” Eventually, you’re probably going to start asking if she wants you to get her a coffee. And then, pretty soon, does she want to go get a coffee with you. But if I’m in a diner or restaurant that actually serves coffee from the pot into a mug, I will just order coffee. With lots and lots of cream. No, not three. Fill the bowl, thanks.
Honestly, I say “have a coffee” because I heard it once in a UK T.V. show, and thought it sounded cool.
The have/have a coffee debate for me would depend on how I use it. I would “go for coffee” but I would “grab a coffee.”
As for black coffee, it should be just that, black. Nothing in it. Just. Coffee. I mean, it should be self-explanatory. If you WANTED cream or sugar, you would ASK for it, right? But that’s just me. Or maybe I don’t order enough coffee? Or maybe I only go to cheap places where they bring you coffee but the cream and sugar are on the table and you get it yourself?
P.S. I also say “glovebox” and had no idea it was British. Of course, I also use words like fawn, dote, stunning, and smashing. My brother-in-law heard my sister tell me my outfit was stunning and he said, “Why can’t you guys just say something is ‘nice’ instead?” As if.