# "Drinking tea without milk and sugar is not civilised." **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2003, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-tea-without-milk-and-sugar-is-not-civilised/188358 "2003-07-14T12:37:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-tea-without-milk-and-sugar-is-not-civilised/188358/61 "2003-07-29T22:53:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Woeg \* > \*\*Milk and sugar guy here. > > The original quote, I believe, is from the movie, “The Great Escape”, and is as follows: > > “Tea without milk is so uncivilised.” > ~ Flight Lt. Colin ‘The Forger’ Blythe \*\* Correct. Lt. Blythe (Donald Pleasance) is pouring tea and Flight Lt. Bob Anthony ‘The Scrounger’ Hendley (James Garner) hands him a can of condensed milk that he has somehow acquired. The absurdity of the statement compounded by the fact that they are both interred in an “escape-proof” POW camp. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-tea-without-milk-and-sugar-is-not-civilised/188358/62 "2003-07-29T23:37:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rayne Man \* > \*\*You will find that the vast majority of British ( and Irish ) people put milk in their tea becaue that is the traditional way to drink tea round here. As to sugar I think more and more people are doing without it on the grounds of health and because people’s tastes have changed over the years. I gave up having suagr in my tea a few years ago but still have it in coffee. \*\* That’s interesting. I gave up sugar in both tea and coffee about a year ago. It was on my dad’s advice “why don’t you try it without sugar. I know you’ll like it” He was right of course (I have one of those dads who is always right) It occurs to me that the reason so many people _do_ have sugar in their tea/coffee is because that is how they were introduced to drinking tea and coffee - if you like it _with_ why would you ever think to try it _without_ If my dad hadn’t suggested I try without I’d probably still be drinking tea and coffee with sugar today. Sad it is that people are not curious enough. Sad that things like this just don’t occur to us. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-tea-without-milk-and-sugar-is-not-civilised/188358/63 "2003-07-30T00:46:05Z")
Right, _The Great Escape_. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-tea-without-milk-and-sugar-is-not-civilised/188358/64 "2003-07-30T13:09:28Z")
I am drinking Yorkshire Gold right now, with milk and sugar. My favorite drink. I also have a recipe I picked up from a Pakistani friend. It calls for loose Red Label Lipton’s, some milk, some sugar, some cardamon, and some fennel seed – although you can add other spices if you wish. It is so very good that everyone asks for it when they come over. I live in the U.S., and I wish most desperately that my local grocery store carried more good strong Indian and English teas, not that herbal junk _shudder_. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-tea-without-milk-and-sugar-is-not-civilised/188358/65 "2003-07-30T18:32:48Z")
I drink Lipton’s French Vanilla, with or without milk. No sugar. It’s good, but you guys have me curious about the more exotic teas. I’m also addicted to iced tea. Two sugars. But that’s nothing compared to the sweet tea of the south. Those people know how to make some iced tea. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-tea-without-milk-and-sugar-is-not-civilised/188358/66 "2003-07-30T20:41:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Those people know how to make some iced tea. If they did, they wouldn’t put sugar in it! 😛😉 (I prefer my iced tea without sugar.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-tea-without-milk-and-sugar-is-not-civilised/188358.md?page=3)