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Misused: Spot Of Tea

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anza_sb from nowhere Since: May, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#1: Jan 20th 2022 at 3:57:50 AM

so the trope description + Laconic page for Spot of Tea both specifically mention that this trope is when British people or culture is stereotypically associated with tea and tea drinking. yet one glance at the page's examples and half of it is just "this character likes tea" or "this character drinks tea a lot" without any other context, let alone anything that says they're British.

i brought this up a few months ago, but my thread was shot down because i was told that i needed to do a wick check first, so i did. i checked through a selection from every single wick that links to Spot Of Tea and its redirect, A Spot Of Tea (barring certain pages like index pages, Just For Fun, Sandbox, etc.). do keep in mind that this is my first time doing a wick check, so this list might include errors such as pages that shouldn't be checked, misused i forgot to label as such, etc. (comments are in bold)

Note that for our purposes, characters who are British but don't like tea are counted as correct use, since they can fall under aversions or subversions. The trope is "British people love tea", not "tea indicates British people".

Wicks checked: 70

    open/close all folders 
    Correct (30%) 

    Misuse (Mentions tea, but doesn't mention Britishness) (40%) 
These entries mention a character drinking tea or having/doing something else related to tea, but do not mention the character being British, or the character is not British at all.
  • Anime.Kill La Kill: Satsuki regularly enjoys a cup of tea served by her butler from an English-style tea set. Her lieutenants sometimes partake as well. (Entry mentions English-style tea set, but doesn't mention if the character herself is British or not)
  • Characters.Crash Bandicoot Villains Scientists: In It's About Time, one of his idle animations has him on a quick tea break, complete with an extended pinky. (Neo Cortex folder.)
  • Characters.Fate Grand Order Crypters: Da Vinci mentions that he had a notable tea stash when he was still in Team A as befitting a noble. (Kirschtaria folder. No mentions of Britishness. Unclear if British-coded or not.)
  • Characters.Highlander The Series: He finds it vastly preferable to alcohol. (Hamza el-Kahir's entry mentions he likes tea, but he is Arabic, not British.)
  • Characters.Lobotomy Corporation Sephirah: Enjoys a cup of tea from time to time, and is seen sipping a cup of it in the Outskirts after decimating H Corp. She left the employee to be gored alive by Sweepers in the desert, after having the worker aid her in destroying their own Wing. (The second half of this entry doesn't even have anything to do with the trope...)
  • Characters.Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live: She studied the proper way to make tea in order to see Bell smile in return for her kindness, always has a tea set with her, compares the flavor of music to tea, and one of her Prism Jumps is themed after tea party. (Mentions of a character who has a tea theme for her design, but no mention if character is British or not.)
  • Characters.Titanic 1997: Moody is shown holding a cuppa when he goes to answer the bridge telephone. In his rush to reverse the engines, Murdoch accidentally spills it over Moody's coat.
  • Characters.Wakfu Allies And Friends: : Prince Adale's folder mentions the trope, but doesn't elaborate further. ZCE.
  • ComicStrip.Dan Dare: Digby is something of a tea addict.
  • Fanfic.Twenty Years Later Reimus Successor: Dawitsu still remembers Reimu's tea preference, and makes her tea when she visits him.
  • Film.Ant Man 1: Tea is the go-to drink for the film's characters. Scott even says that he's going to go make a pot after realizing that he ruined a tender father-daughter moment between Hank and Hope. (All of the characters mentioned here are American.)
  • Film.Death Line: Inspector Calhoun's reaction to almost any situation is to demand tea from his secretary. He is infuriated to learn that he is being served tea made from tea bags (in line with new police policy) but continues to drink it by the gallon anyway.
  • Film.Zack Snyders Justice League: Alfred gets to teach Diana/Wonder Woman how to properly prepare tea.
  • Literature.A Clockwork Orange: Even psychopaths like Alex enjoy a cup of the old chai.
  • Literature.Little House On The Prairie: Pa is a tea rather than a coffee drinker.
  • Literature.Sleeping Murder: Dr. Kennedy seeks reassurance that a spot of tea is appropriate to greet Lily Kimble with when she arrives to tell them what she knows.
  • Pantheon.Heroic Outlooks: (Part of Gowasu's portfolio. Something tells me he's not British coded at all.)
  • Recap.Adventure Time S 5 E 3 Five More Short Graybles: BMO and hir alter ego FTBL nearly short themselves out pretending to drink tea. (Side note: Typo on "hir"; also im pretty sure Football's name was never spelled "FTBL".)
  • Recap.My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic S 3 E 3 Too Many Pinkie Pies: Fluttershy has a little picnic with some of the forest critters, inviting Pinkie to it when she runs across her.
  • Recap.Star Trek Deep Space Nine S 01 E 03 Past Prologue: Bashir is introduced drinking Tarkalean tea which will become his favourite.
  • Roleplay.IDROCR: Everyone drinks tea—most notably Ludger, Mei, Yumiko, and Sora—but others share in it if it is presented to them. Yes, this is a very classy cast. (Look at just how many ZCE's this page has lol)
  • Series.Judge John Deed: John seems to drink a lot of tea and coffee, and often suggests it to the jury when he needs to adjourn.
  • TabletopGame.Forgotten Realms: Raidon Kane enjoying tea, due to his Kara-Turan heritage. (Kara-Tur is definitely not British-coded, I looked it up)
  • VideoGame.Suikoden I: Stupidity Is the Only Option: The tea. After just hearing rumors that people who visited a certain inn end up drugged and robbed, the group visits and inn and are immediately offered tea. Everyone else drinks up and waits for Tir to do the same. He can refuse, technically, as many times as he wants. But if you want to advance the plot, you have to drink the tea.
  • VisualNovel.Foreign Affairs Pixelberry: One of the classes shown in Chapter 2 is Etiquette and involves tea. (The setting might be British coded, but I have no idea.)
  • VisualNovel.Umineko When They Cry: Everyone drinks tea. Especially Beato, Lambda, and Bern (they are called "tea parties," after all). Bern usually specifies that she wants umeboshi (sour, pickled plum) tea.
  • Webcomic.Final Fantasy VII The Sevening: Yuffie, for one panel while the group is in Cid's house.
  • Webcomic.Kill Six Billion Demons: Tea appears to be the drink of choice of both angels, devils and humans in The Multiverse, with even Himself keeping a set of good china for guests. 6 Juggernaut Star is something of an expert on fine teas and enjoys tea ceremonies akin to those performed in Japan on Earth, though it should be noted this fondness of tea is not a particularly humanizing trait of theirs. Following the Time Skip between book 3 and 4, the narration notes that the gang's house contains several dozens different types of tea.

    Misuse (Potholes) (21.4%) 

    Unclear (8.6%) 
  • ComicBook.Green Manor: "A cup of tea? A drop of milk? A spoonful of poison? At first nothing would make very select club called Green Manor stand out from any other English club. Yet behind its thick walls, sunk into its deep chairs, hides the biggest bunch of con artists, bandits and murders that Queen Victoria's England has ever seen." (Page quote. It's basically a pothole, but the comic is set in Victoria England (which the quote mentions), so ???. Might break the "no potholes in page quotes" rule, though.)
  • Plug 'n' Play Prosthetics: In Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Fergus' arm comes from an Ubersoldat combat robot. It causes him loads of trouble throughout the whole game, punching him in the face occasionally, smushing his biscuits when he tries to have a Spot Of Tea, Flipping the Bird to Grace when the two meet, and ruining his chances with a girl he fancies by honking her boob. (The wiki says Fergus is British, but this isn't explained in this entry. Dunno if this counts as misuse or not.)
  • Recap.Doctor Who S 31 E 11 The Lodger: The amazing curative properties of tea are displayed again. This time the miracle cure for the "whatever" leaking through the ceiling is a pot of really strong tea made with all the teabags in the flat... (British-coded The Doctor using tea as a cure-all. Maybe counts, maybe not?)
  • Series.Father Ted: While tea drinking is generally associated with the English, the Republic of Ireland are just about equally notorious. Ireland's obession with tea is represented by Mrs. Doyle. "Tea, father?" "Oh, you will. Go on, go on, go on, go on..." (Character isn't British, but the show is British-Irish, and I looked up a bunch of clips and she's seen serving British people tea I think???)
  • WesternAnimation.Oggy And The Cockroaches The Movie: Expect to see this show up a lot in Victorian England. (Correct usage, but the entry itself borders on ZCE.)
  • YMMV.Star Trek The Next Generation S 2 E 11 Contagion: One of the first malfunctions on the Enterprise is when Picard asks the replicator for his usual Spot Of Tea and gets a small potted plant instead. [...] (Patrick Stewart is English and i'm sure Picard in Star Trek drinks tea often in reference to that, but this sentence in particular provides no context for all of that and is just a pothole.)

as you can see, this trope has gone under massive Trope Decay. i suggest we do one of the below to address this.

  • expand the trope definition to include basically any character who likes tea (risking the trope going into PSOC territory).
  • enforce the trope's original definition and cull all the misuse examples that aren't related to British people/culture.
optionally, we can split the difference and make new trope(s) for other cultures that drink tea, such as Asia.

what do you guys think?

Edited by anza_sb on Jan 20th 2022 at 7:18:33 PM

Twitter/Instagram: anzasquiddles. Deviantart: anzahanifathallah.
GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#2: Jan 20th 2022 at 4:00:17 AM

Opened.

Maybe we could tweak the name to indicate that it's about British people, but I'm against expanding it into any character liking tea, because that's already covered by Trademark Favorite Food (which has Trademark Favorite Drink as a redirect).

Edited by GastonRabbit on Jan 20th 2022 at 6:02:31 AM

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
anza_sb from nowhere Since: May, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#3: Jan 20th 2022 at 4:03:48 AM

yeah, i'm not really fond of expanding the trope's definition either.

Edited by anza_sb on Jan 20th 2022 at 7:04:00 PM

Twitter/Instagram: anzasquiddles. Deviantart: anzahanifathallah.
HoloMew151 Space Gal from From Deep, Deep Space Since: Jun, 2021 Relationship Status: Tweaking my holographic boyfriend
Space Gal
#4: Jan 20th 2022 at 4:49:38 AM

I’m for tweaking the name (maybe to Tea Loving Brits or something) and reinforcing it.

Berrenta How sweet it is from Texas Since: Apr, 2015 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
How sweet it is
#5: Jan 20th 2022 at 5:09:26 AM

Yeah, a rename is in order. Tea-Loving Brits sounds like a good name.

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anza_sb from nowhere Since: May, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#6: Jan 20th 2022 at 5:42:27 AM

silly title idea i have: Hail Briteannia!

yeah i know it's bad sue me

Twitter/Instagram: anzasquiddles. Deviantart: anzahanifathallah.
themayorofsimpleton Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him from Elsewhere (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Abstaining
GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#8: Jan 20th 2022 at 5:52:19 AM

I'm fully in favor of a rename now instead of just suggesting it.

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
anza_sb from nowhere Since: May, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#9: Jan 20th 2022 at 5:55:54 AM

yeah, Tea Loving Brits sounds jolly good

Twitter/Instagram: anzasquiddles. Deviantart: anzahanifathallah.
Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#10: Jan 20th 2022 at 6:32:31 AM

I think it should be renamed, and Spot Of Tea disambiguated between the new "Brits like tea" trope, Trademark Favorite Drink, and Drink-Based Characterization (eg. tea as haughtiness, as in Kill la Kill, tea as warmth/wisdom as in Avatar: The Last Airbender).

GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#11: Jan 20th 2022 at 6:34:08 AM

[up]I like that idea.

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
anza_sb from nowhere Since: May, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#12: Jan 20th 2022 at 6:34:15 AM

good idea

Twitter/Instagram: anzasquiddles. Deviantart: anzahanifathallah.
VampireBuddha Calendar enthusiast from Ireland (Wise, aged troper) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Calendar enthusiast
#13: Jan 20th 2022 at 6:45:21 AM

Oh, hey, this is a trope I'm responsible for. I originally pitched it as Great British Cuppa, but Tea-Loving Brits is also decent.

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I--Vanya--I A bee, a beetle and a moth from Belarus Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
A bee, a beetle and a moth
#14: Jan 20th 2022 at 6:50:21 AM

[tup] for Tea-Loving Brits.

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GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#15: Jan 20th 2022 at 7:18:50 AM

I think Brits Love Tea would also work.

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
themayorofsimpleton Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him from Elsewhere (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Abstaining
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
#16: Jan 20th 2022 at 7:53:50 AM

[tup] to a disambig as well. Brits Love Tea may actually be a better and more indicative name.

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Nen_desharu Nintendo Fanatic Extraordinaire from Greater Smash Bros. Universe or Toronto Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Nintendo Fanatic Extraordinaire
#17: Jan 20th 2022 at 10:31:11 AM

[tup]I like the name Tea-Loving Brits and I agree that Spot Of Tea should be a disambiguation page.

Yes, I do like a cup of green tea straight.

Edited by Nen_desharu on Jan 20th 2022 at 1:31:47 PM

Kirby is awesome.
WarJay77 Big Catch, Sparkle Edition (Troper Knight)
Big Catch, Sparkle Edition
#18: Jan 20th 2022 at 10:54:20 AM

I like Tea-Loving Brits, but Brits Love Tea is also fine. And a disambig is a solid idea, too.

Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
anza_sb from nowhere Since: May, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#19: Jan 20th 2022 at 11:11:12 AM

(make sure we hyphenate Tea-Loving. don't want an Ambiguous Syntax on our hands)

Twitter/Instagram: anzasquiddles. Deviantart: anzahanifathallah.
Unicorndance Logic Girl from Thames, N.Z. Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Logic Girl
#20: Jan 20th 2022 at 11:41:06 AM

I like both Tea-Loving Brits and Brits Love Tea.

For every low there is a high.
Nen_desharu Nintendo Fanatic Extraordinaire from Greater Smash Bros. Universe or Toronto Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Nintendo Fanatic Extraordinaire
#21: Jan 20th 2022 at 2:10:47 PM

Both Tea-Loving Brits and Brits Love Tea are excellent names.

Kirby is awesome.
Tabs Since: Jan, 2001
Amonimus the Retromancer from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the Retromancer
#23: Jan 20th 2022 at 3:46:57 PM

Agree with suggestions. Whatever names don't get picked can be redirects.

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anza_sb from nowhere Since: May, 2014 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#24: Jan 20th 2022 at 4:10:12 PM

A link somewhere on the internet brought you here.

It may refer to one of these tropes:

If you came to this page through a link on the site, please correct it to point to the right page or remove it.


that good? i'm kinda on the fence on the first bullet point (maybe just "British people stereotypically loving tea" and we can scrap the other half of the sentence?)

Edited by anza_sb on Jan 20th 2022 at 7:11:28 PM

Twitter/Instagram: anzasquiddles. Deviantart: anzahanifathallah.
WarJay77 Big Catch, Sparkle Edition (Troper Knight)
Big Catch, Sparkle Edition
#25: Jan 20th 2022 at 4:11:23 PM

It is, but we need to wait at least three days to enact anything.

Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness

Trope Repair Shop: SpotOfTea Title Suggestions
27th Jan '22 9:53:57 AM

Crown Description:

What should we rename Spot Of Tea to?

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