cup of tea

noun phrase

1

: something one likes or excels in

I see already that storytelling isn't my cup of tea

—John Barth

also : a person suited to one's taste

2

: a thing to be reckoned with : matter

poltergeists are a different cup of tea

—D. B. W. Lewis

Examples of cup of tea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nurses and teachers can get the deal on all cups of tea from Monday, May 5 through Friday, May 9. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

If Pride & Prejudice is a fizzy glass of champagne, Sense & Sensibility feels like a cosy cup of tea—its mood is more serious, sedate, and contemplative. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 1 July 2025

In research studies, doses of 1.25-3 grams of hibiscus per cup of tea have been used.6 Cinnamon contains compounds that help reduce inflammation and relax blood vessels. —Lindsay Curtis, Health, 26 June 2025

Such clips usually also feature some combination of playing chess in bed, making homemade biscuits, replenishing logs in an outdoor fire pit, and walking around with a perpetual cup of tea in hand: a dream routine, as far as we’re concerned. —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 17 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cup of tea

• abc
• absentee
• addressee
• adoptee
• agouti
• allottee
• amphorae
• amputee
• apc
• apogee
• appointee
• assessee