My Two Cents ... I

So each Saturday, I will give you my two cents on a saying I came across during the week, or which intrigued me in any other way. We will start this week with:

"It's not my cup of tea."

So, first of all: What does this saying mean?

It means that you don't like something or are not interested in it. If you say, 'Sorry, but rock music just isn't my cup of tea,' then you maybe like to listen to rap music instead. You don't automatically hate rock music but as long as you can choose, you will choose something else.

How did this saying develop? Where does it come from?

Apparently, the saying started in Great Britain in the late 1800s. At first, it was used as a positive. When a Brit said, 'It's my cup of tea,' he indicated that he liked something. Around 1920, the meaning switched to the negative form which is more often heard today.

My two cents on this:

Of course, I was absolutely sure this saying had to be British. I mean, who else is famous for their tea-drinkin tradition? The time frame also makes sense. In the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century before WWII, England's society thinking was at its peak. It was determined by birth and by money who was someone and who wasn't. The fine ladies would have tea with friends, chatting and gossiping, every afternoon. It was almost unthinkable that someone from the high society would as much as seriously talk to someone from the working class - except for giving orders. With the afternoon tea tradition lived to its fullest, it is no wonder that such a saying would develop.