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Tea........to leave or not to leave?

(54 Posts)
Katek Thu 22-Mar-18 11:40:47

No matter what size of mug or cup I drink tea from I always leave 1/4 inch or so at the bottom. I can only assume this is ingrained behaviour from my youth when tea could have a few leaves floating around. I haven’t used loose tea in half a century so why am I still doing this? My mother always said it was bad manners to drain the cup-perhaps it’s still her voice inside my head telling me what to do! What do others do?

MissAdventure Thu 22-Mar-18 11:43:40

Exactly the same.
I can remember the tea grouts at the bottom of the cup.
I think it traumatised me!

JackyB Thu 22-Mar-18 11:45:27

I'm just the same. People are always asking "Have you finished". But I can't bring myself to drink those last drops. They are probably cold anyway!

wildswan16 Thu 22-Mar-18 12:26:27

I do that too. Maybe it is ingrained behaviour from when people swilled the last of the tea round, emptied it out and read the tea leaves.

FarNorth Thu 22-Mar-18 12:28:17

Even with teabags, there are often a few little grains in the bottom of the cup.
Or if you dunk, there's sludge

janeainsworth Thu 22-Mar-18 12:37:16

I make tea with leaves and pour it through a strainer.
Then I drink the lot grin

rubysong Thu 22-Mar-18 12:43:24

There's never a drop left when I have tea, and I usually have a second cup.

Grandma70s Thu 22-Mar-18 12:48:27

I have friends who always leave some. It has always puzzled me, and irritated me a little bit, so it’s quite interesting to read this thread.

Fair enough to leave leaves (if you understand), but if there are none, drink it!

Marydoll Thu 22-Mar-18 12:52:46

I too leave some at the bottom of the cup. A throwback from my childhood with stray leaves and sugar residue.
I now use teabags and no sugar, but can't bring myself to drink the dregs.

farview Thu 22-Mar-18 13:27:41

My Aunt Bess used to 'read' the tealeaves at the bottom of our cups,to tell us our fortunes...so we had to drink ALL the tea..and so I still do,never a drop left!

Teetime Thu 22-Mar-18 13:27:51

Me too but if tge tea gets the slightest bit cold I leave the lot.

Willow500 Thu 22-Mar-18 13:36:29

Don't drink tea but do the same with coffee - no idea why and I also hate it if it's gone cold or even lukewarm - I have it black with no sugar as well so it's not like there's anything at the bottom!

Bathsheba Thu 22-Mar-18 13:45:44

No, I drink the whole lot. I can remember thinking, when teabags became the norm, how nice it was not to have to leave anything in the cup, so I must have changed those early habits immediately!

MissAdventure Thu 22-Mar-18 13:48:07

I leave the last little drop of my coffee too.
Somehow it seems to be 'dead', even if I then immediately make another.

M0nica Thu 22-Mar-18 14:42:26

I seem 'blessed'with friends and relations who only ever drink half of a cup or mug - or is that different?

gmelon Thu 22-Mar-18 18:05:25

I've never seen an empty cup. Family, friends , random visitors to the house. I've not seen anyone drink the lot.

gmelon Thu 22-Mar-18 18:09:55

Over the years I must have poured gallons down the sink.
On another note, my grandad would take a cup of tea to bed specifically for drinking cold in the morning. To "save time in the morning". On freezing nights pre central heating the tea seperated from the milk!
He thought everyone should catch on to his brilliant scheme.

TwiceAsNice Thu 22-Mar-18 18:15:03

I always leave some in the cup too. Always have

Baggs Thu 22-Mar-18 18:44:26

MrBaggs does the same, katek. Vestigial tea leaf in the mouth avoidance habit.

I do use loose tea but I also use a strainer so I drink down to the last drop.

Jane10 Thu 22-Mar-18 18:50:11

Me too Katek. You are not alone. I don't know why I do it but I just do and always have.

annodomini Thu 22-Mar-18 18:54:57

I use leaf tea in a pot with a filter. I put the leaves in the filter and pour in boiling water. I have a little red teapot for breakfast and a big pot for visitors. I must admit that I use teabags for red bush tea. I did try leaves but they were very small and messy.

pollyperkins Fri 23-Mar-18 09:56:47

Yes I do this too. Never thought about it but it seems right to leave a little tea at the bottim.

GrandmasueUK Fri 23-Mar-18 10:05:59

My daughter and I both leave a bit at the bottom of the cup but we both drink coffee. I've always said it's in case there are tea leaves!

moobox Fri 23-Mar-18 10:06:17

I do the same with coffee - habit as you say

Tessa101 Fri 23-Mar-18 10:06:22

I’m with teatime on this one.