Black Coffee with Sugar

[Page Stephens]

Has no one except myself ever heard the phrase "black coffee with sugar"
ever used as a come on line to a pretty waitress? It is similar to and as
effective as the old trick of leering at the waitress or saying, "you" after
she asked the customer what they would like. Then when she said, "I mean
that is on the menu." you would slip the menu under her feet.

I don't think that you people have hung around truck stops or bars enough
because you don't appear to have ever thought about this phrase except
literally.

You should hang out with members of the working class more often instead :-)
of spending so much time with academics in coffee houses.

Page Stephens

----- Original Message -----
From: "Laurence Horn" <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 9:06 AM
Subject: Re: Black Coffee with Sugar


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Black Coffee with Sugar
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
> >On Mon, 16 Feb 2004, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
> >
> >>Does anyone say black coffee to mean with sugar?
> >
> >I have never used sugar in coffee, but I assume black means only that
> >one does not want cream. I know that around here at places like
Starbucks,
> >it makes a difference in how full they fill the cup - they leave room for
> >cream if you are going to add it. Or some places add cream if you want
> >it. (I always drink it black, no sugar.)
> >
> >I think whether one adds sugar is an entirely  different matter.
> >
> Right.  As a native black-with-sugar coffee drinker, I always request
> coffee black in restaurants (where there are facilities for adding
> sugar) and "black with sugar" on airplanes or if I'm a guest at
> someone's house.  Clearly, if I just say "black" in the latter
> circumstances, I'll then have to track down the sugar later to feed
> my filthy habit.  (Of course in NY I could ask for "regular", but
> then I'll get cream as well as sugar.)  The thing with sugar is that
> it really matters how much is added, unlike (in my vicarious
> experience) cream/milk.
>
> Larry