cup of tea

C

cup of tea

Meaning

• to like something
• to one’s liking, taste and so forth
• if it is “your cup of tea” it is something that you prefer
• something that someone enjoys
• something that you would choose for yourself

The idiom is widely famous for its negative form, starts with word ‘not’ (e.g. not my cup of tea) and mainly used to express things someone dislike.

not my cup of tea

Meaning (Negative)

• to dislike something
• not one’s liking, flavour etc.
• to express something very uninteresting
• to feel boring to do something

Example Sentences

1. This music is much more my cup of tea than this new stuff.
2. I enjoy museums, it is my cup of tea.
3. Hiking is not my cup of tea, but my husband enjoys it.
4. The opera is not my cup of tea, but I can see how people may like it.
5. That dress is really not my cup of tea.
6. I decided not to go to the restaurant with them, because eating spicy food isn’t my cup of tea.

Origin

Apart from water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. There are various varieties of the beverage and everyone has a cup of tea that they enjoy more than others. In the late 1800s the British started using the phrase “my cup of tea” to indicate something that they enjoyed. In the 1920s they added the phrase “not my cup of tea” to mean the opposite.

In the Syracuse Post Standard newspaper, February 1935, there’s an advertisement that reads:

As Margie always says, ‘Saving energy is great, but taking the hassle out of window cleanin’ is my cup of tea.’

Drink, Food