It don't matter if you're black or white

[venta]

Before my Dad retired, his job took him to a lot of military establishments. He used to refer to "standard army-issue tea" - that is, white-two-sugars. Apparently it was habitually served that way because "everyone" took it like that.

Earlier today, making tea for hjalfi, I observed that my default assumption is white-no-sugar. I have no idea of the prevalence of various tea-preferences, so figure I need a quick poll:

I in no way promise to remember this next time I make you tea, by the way.

[Poll #1227748]


And yes, tea-tasting. For those who were interested, I know I haven't sorted anything out yet. Life's a bit fraught at present.

Comments

[venta.livejournal.com]

I should add that although I claimed not to issue instructions, I do attempt to intervene if I observe someone leaving it to stew in the mug for (what seems to me) excessively long.

[ao-lai.livejournal.com]

But there's no such thing as Too Strong, only Too Cold! :)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Wrong! If I drink tea made the way you like it I can feel my teeth peeling...

[ghoti.livejournal.com]

I tend to prefer the tea that comes from furthest west. So, African tea is best, then Indian, then Chinese/Japanese. Actually, I also have a soft spot for Nilgiri, which works so long as that bit is honorary Africa.

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

White-and-two is known to many of my friends as NATO.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

d_floorlandmine tells me that this is because that's the ratio of creamers/sugar to teabags that you get in an army ratpack.

[eviltwinemma.livejournal.com]

An old Cambridge one was "Greenend Standard" (Milk and none, must be served by or to someone who works in IT)

[ewx.livejournal.com]

I'm curious where the ‘someone who works in IT’ bit came from; I don't think we ever had any such requirement.

[eviltwinemma.livejournal.com]

Not a requirement per se, just happened to be the case pretty much every occasion I can recall :-)

[chrisvenus]

"ciatation required" :)

I say this only because I've heard the nato standard used and thought I'd find a reference and am having a great deal of trouble doing so.

And apparently ISO 3103 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3103) doesn't seem to involve sugar...

[chrisvenus]

I couldn't even find references to it as slang on the internet in any significant way. Ah well. I'm not that bothered. :)

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

Ian and Kirk, both ex-army, use that phrase.

And since I don't believe oxfordgirl knows either of them, that suggests that it's at least not totally isolated to a single group.

[chrisvenus]

Yeah, I'm aware that I know it from Cam people (such as them and Rik too) but that still doesn't mean I don't want references. I mean, its not that I disbelieve but I just like to have these things in more concrete form.

Besides, saying its not isolated to a single group depends on how you define the group... If that single group is UK LARPers...

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

True. Feel free to go survey a random set of military personnel :)

[edling.livejournal.com]

I've heard of NATO standard tea too- most memorably through a friend of mine who wasn't quite an arms dealer, so I think it's pretty widespread. Interestingly, I can't find much in the way of orgins for it on the interwebs either- the best I've seen so far is the jargon file here saying it dates to the 1950s...

[venta.livejournal.com]

Surely you mean :)

[(Anonymous)]

No! No! NATO would demand the interference of the CIA. Original request is therefore more fun!!!!!

W

[waistcoatmark.livejournal.com]

I assume by "Don't mind how it comes" you mean "Don't mind how it comes, as long as it's as specified in the first question"

[venta.livejournal.com]

That was the intention of the question, though that doesn't appear to be the way many people have chosen to answer it :)

[elethiomel.livejournal.com]

Well in my office:

NATO = white with two. (WWII)

On the basis that NATO was set up after World War II:

League of Nations = white with one. (WWI)

Whoopi Goldberg = no milk, no sugar (Black Nun)

Julie Andrews = white no sugar (White Nun)

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

That is amazingly complicated - mind you I think our lab all drink tea exactly the same way (milk no sugar) so we don't need to refer to how we want it, because we already know.

[hendybear.livejournal.com]

In an organisation that has "Environmental Panel refurbishment technicians" as a job title, this is positivity snappy!

Plus points if you can figure out what that job title refers to!

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

Window cleaners!

[hendybear.livejournal.com]

You Win!

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

...painters?

[hendybear.livejournal.com]

Nope, afraid not

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

NATO wasn't set up until 1949 -- UN would be more accurate. (As well as being a better parallel with LoN.)

</pedant> ;-)

[triskellian]

It surprises me every time I make tea at work (not often, because I don't drink much tea at work) that I'm the only person in the office who drinks it the 'normal' way - there's one white-but-with-only-a-tiny-splash-of-milk, one white-with-one, one white-with-a-sweetener, one black, and one hot-water-which-has-only-just-heard-of-teabags.

(And I've never heard 'NATO' for white-with-two.)

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

I usually prefer tea cold, with no milk, sugar, or tea. Does that count as "complicated instructions"?

[venta.livejournal.com]

I think that counts as "cheating".

[ao-lai.livejournal.com]

I'd just like to make a brief statement that despite my 'complicated instructions' answer, in actual practice I tend to accept tea however it comes. But the option was marked 'would *like* to', right?... :)

[leathellin.livejournal.com]

I would like to point out that I drink tea but would not identify it as black. It don't think it count as herbal nonsense either being made from tea leaves.

So I shall opt out of your silly poll :-p