Slinging coffee

[Benjamin Barrett]

I've heard the expression "sling coffee" meaning "work as a barista"
only from baristas, but Webidence indicates it's more than just jargon:

Are you tired of being called "just a latte slinger" and having to
explain your craft to your family and friends? Does it piss you off that
people think that your job requires no skill or education? (12 Feb 2006,
teri_lee, http://community.livejournal.com/indie_baristas)

I was not put on this planet to scrub toilets, sling coffee or anything
similar. (03-29-05, organica,
http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-34800-p-10.html)

But people have always told me that to work on feel-good-warm-fuzzy
things you have to sling coffee creamer and cat food the other 364 days
of the year. (March 14 , 2006, T,
http://shyoot.blogspot.com/2006/03/there-were-parts-of-advertising-i.html)

Jargon:
It’s no shame, man, to work for a livin’. I’d rather sling coffee for
Starbucks than sling verbs for a few newspapers I could name …. (May 21,
2007, Disgruntled Tool-Room Clerk,
http://www.davecopeland.com/index.php/2007/05/21/day-one-of-my-starving-artist-phase/)

BB

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org