Are you a coffee person or a tea person? No matter which you prefer, there are some common coffee idioms that you might hear in everyday English.
English idioms are fun to say and once you can use them with ease, you’ll find yourself one step closer to sounding like a native. But, they can be very hard to interpret if you don’t already know what they mean.
Here we’ll take a look at some idioms about coffee, including examples and definitions, so you can understand how to use them correctly
Coffee idioms with example sentences
Wake up and smell the coffee
This list of coffee idioms starts with a slightly negative one. If you need to be more realistic or recognise unpleasant qualities in someone, your friends may tell you it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. This phrase can also apply when it’s time to accept something like a bad situation or bad news.
“He’s never going to change and treat you right. It’s time you wake up and smell the coffee and leave him.”
“I know Caroline has put her heart into this business but I think she needs to wake up and smell the coffee before it bankrupts her.”
Cup of joe
This phrase is a traditionally American name for a cup of coffee.
“Oh, I would love a cup of joe about now.”
It’s unclear where the term cup of Joe comes from but some believe that as ‘Joe’ is a common male name, you’re simply asking for a common man’s drink.
Others say it is named after a US Navy officer (nicknamed Joe) who banned alcohol on the ships in 1914. This meant the sailors drank coffee and named it after him. Or could it be a combination of ‘Java’ and ‘Mocha’, which are two types of coffee (jamoke). What do you think?
Bean counter
Not limiting our coffee idioms to just the drink, let’s remember that coffee comes from coffee beans. In this case a bean counter is a person (the counter) who is very good with money (the beans), or who makes decisions predominantly based on finances.
“The bean counters in the finance department never miss a thing!”
A bean counter could be an informal name for an accountant, too.
Don’t confuse this with someone who is ‘full of beans’ – that’s a completely different food idiom!
The kettle calling the (coffee) pot black
This is a slightly older idiom about coffee which is still used today. It’s basically saying that a person is a hypocrite. It could apply when one person accuses another of having a certain (negative) trait, when in fact the accuser has that very same trait too.
“What they don’t realize is they are both as bad as each other. It’s like the kettle calling the pot black.”
For more information on the origin of the saying the kettle calling the (coffee) pot black, read our article about drink idioms.
Coffee break
Although this isn’t technically a coffee idiom, it’s worth a mention here. It’s simply saying it’s time for a short rest during the working day. You don’t have to drink coffee on a coffee break, but just stop working for a moment and step away from your workspace.
“Well that was a productive morning. I think it’s time for a coffee break.”
Tea-drinkers might also refer to it as a ‘tea break’.
You look like you could use a coffee
It’s well known that coffee is a great way to wake you up in the morning. If you haven’t slept very well and look tired, someone may comment that you look like you could use a coffee.
“Late night? You look like you could use a coffee.”
This is one of the coffee idioms that may be adapted according to the person speaking. For example, you may say ‘I could use a coffee’ if you are feeling especially tired and in need of a caffeine boost.
I like my men/women like I like my coffee
This is a very dated saying and perhaps not appropriate to use nowadays, but you may hear it in older movies or TV shows.
Normally people like their coffee strong, hot, dark (or black), or sweet. So if you hear someone say I like my men/women like I like my coffee, it’s commonly followed with a description of the features they like in both things, e.g. a strong but sweet man.
“I don’t ask for much when it comes to dating. I simply like my men like I like my coffee: dark and hot.”
“I like my men like I like my coffee: first thing in the morning and again at lunchtime.”
You may also reverse the order of this coffee idiom and say I like my coffee like I like my men/women.
“I like my coffee like I like my women: hot and sweet.”
Since this expression has sexual implications and could be seen as sexist and/or racist, depending how and where you use it, proceed with caution. If you want to talk about dating or love then there are plenty of more appropriate idioms about love you could use.
Or, you could take a more light-hearted approach to this coffee saying, like British comedian Eddie Izzard in his 1997 show Glorious…
Coffee person
Let’s end with a more innocent coffee idiom! Most people have a preference for either tea or coffee, and you can therefore describe them as a tea person or a coffee person.
“I’ll pass on the tea thanks, I’m more of a coffee person.”
If you are more of a tea person then you may appreciate these tea idioms as well.
There really are idioms for every topic you can imagine. Try to learn a few every day if you’re trying to build up your English vocabulary. Which was your favorite of these idioms about coffee? Comment below to let us know!
