# I pit Ethos water (Starbucks) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 4, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821 "2007-12-04T19:59:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/81 "2007-12-07T15:20:51Z")
[QUOTE=Mellivora capensis] I hereby pronounce the word “genre” dead. TOD 16h44 SA time. [/QUOTE] Noooo! He had so much to live for! Why do they have to go so soon? ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/82 "2007-12-07T15:51:18Z")
[QUOTE=chaoticbear] I think that they were referring to the “en” nasal sound from French, like “le vent”. Anyway, the sizes are perfectly descriptive. Short=small, Tall=a size larger than Short, Grande=large, Venti=20 oz. What’s not to understand? [/QUOTE] It would have been better understood had the word genre been mentioned. As for the sizes themselves, I have never had confusion. Simple enough, if you’re confused, the employees aren’t – ask for a small and they will give you the right size. Personally, I prefer Seattle’s Best to $tarbucks, but we don’t have those here, so I go to $tarbucks. Not only are the employees very well trained, but they’re also sweet, personable and enthusiastic – of course, this is only referring to one of the local stores, some of the others suck ass. While I do notice that some people are just beyond ridiculous in their pretentious ordering habits (one women that frequents the same store I do orders a triple grande extra hot no foam low-fat no whipped vanilla latte – talk about redundant – the employees ring her up for all the extras and charge her out the ass, when she could get the same thing for way less by being less pretentious, but no one tells her because she’s a bitch). For the most part, though, I say if you don’t like $tarbucks or the people who drink it, just stay the fuck out – no one is forcing you to “pay $3.50 for crappy coffee.” ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/83 "2007-12-07T16:11:31Z")
[QUOTE=Litoris] Not only are the employees very well trained, but they’re also sweet, personable and enthusiastic – of course, this is only referring to one of the local stores, some of the others suck ass. [/QUOTE] I have never been in a Starbucks and not been impressed by the employees. They are always in a good mood (not in a phony way) and willing to engage in small talk if things aren’t too busy. It’s a huge improvement over being treated as cattle in a doughnut shop. Even if I need to grab a cup of tea, I’ll head to Starbucks for a couple of cents more. So I guess I’m paying a little bit more for the atmosphere but it’s worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/84 "2007-12-07T16:19:25Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] I’m not sure what a French/Italian accent is; they’re quite different. At any rate, both “grande”(gron-day) and “venti”(ven-tee) are Italian. A midwestern accent is just fine; I’m quite sure the baristas won’t notice the difference. On that note, I have never ordered a “grande”, “venti”, “tall”, or Bread Company’s (Panera to the rest of the world) even more idiotically named “largo” sized coffee. I order small medium or large (ok, large), and have never had an issue. They just give me my coffee without comment. [/QUOTE] Wow. You people are awfully particular about pronounciations. 🙂 I am aware that French and Italian have different pronounciations, but in some ways they are more similar to each other than to English. When I was originally saying that I didn’t know how to pronounce “venti,” I couldn’t think of an English word with the “e” sound I was thinking of (because, guess what, “venti” isn’t an English word, and English words don’t typically have the “e” sound I was trying to replicate). SO…I used an English word, “pond,” which had the sound I was going for. People acted hopelessly confused, like they couldn’t _imagine_ what I meant was that I didn’t know if the “e” was supposed to sound like the “o” in “pond.” Not knowing Italian, and offered a good word (“genre”) that English-speakers use that has the “e” pronounced that way, I gave that as an example. Now…here’s the crux of the whole thing…the reason I don’t know how to pronounce “venti” is because I, not speaking any Italian whatsoever, do not know if the “genre” e sound is found in Italian, as it is in French. I also do not know if venti is even a real word, or, if it is, if the Starbucks people know how it is supposed to be pronounced, either, or if they just made the whole thing up. SO…that is why I said “French/Italian fake-y,” not because I think that French and Italian are the same language or have all the same pronounciations. All that aside, my point here is that I think their sizing thing is stupid, and while I think Starbucks offers a pretty good product, and the service is excellent, I am willing to fork over $4 for an occasional latte, but I’m not willing to order it any way but by saying “medium” or “large.” I am assuming, since they always give me what I want, that I am not alone in this, and I also assume that they are happy enough to get my $4 not to complain about my stubborn insistence on using the common vernacular of drink sizing. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/85 "2007-12-07T17:46:37Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] Wow. You people are awfully particular about pronounciations. 🙂 I am aware that French and Italian have different pronounciations, but in some ways they are more similar to each other than to English. When I was originally saying that I didn’t know how to pronounce “venti,” I couldn’t think of an English word with the “e” sound I was thinking of (because, guess what, “venti” isn’t an English word, and English words don’t typically have the “e” sound I was trying to replicate). SO…I used an English word, “pond,” which had the sound I was going for. People acted hopelessly confused, like they couldn’t _imagine_ what I meant was that I didn’t know if the “e” was supposed to sound like the “o” in “pond.” Not knowing Italian, and offered a good word (“genre”) that English-speakers use that has the “e” pronounced that way, I gave that as an example. [/quote] I know. I just thought that rather than act confused by your “pond” example (which was perfectly clear to me), I might actually answer the question. 🙂 (I realize other people gave real answers too, but still). I just wasn’t sure what “French/Italian fake-y” meant. And, for the record, there is no “genre” “e” sound in Italian (just so you know). > [@](#): > > Now…here’s the crux of the whole thing…the reason I don’t know how to pronounce “venti” is because I, not speaking any Italian whatsoever, do not know if the “genre” e sound is found in Italian, as it is in French. I also do not know if venti is even a real word, or, if it is, if the Starbucks people know how it is supposed to be pronounced, either, or if they just made the whole thing up. SO…that is why I said “French/Italian fake-y,” not because I think that French and Italian are the same language or have all the same pronounciations. “Venti” is a real word: it means “twenty”. As to whether Starbucks baristas actually know that: I doubt it. As to whether it’s a stupid thing to call a coffee that you should ignore: absolutely. > [@](#): > > All that aside, my point here is that I think their sizing thing is stupid, and while I think Starbucks offers a pretty good product, and the service is excellent, I am willing to fork over $4 for an occasional latte, but I’m not willing to order it any way but by saying “medium” or “large.” I am assuming, since they always give me what I want, that I am not alone in this, and I also assume that they are happy enough to get my $4 not to complain about my stubborn insistence on using the common vernacular of drink sizing. Agreed, which is why I don’t use the stupid names. “Largo” is the one that really gets me. “Largo” means “broad”. I have a “Largo” coffee from Bread Co. next to me right now (I ordered a large) and it’s no broader than any other cup I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/86 "2007-12-07T17:52:39Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] I know. I just thought that rather than act confused by your “pond” example (which was perfectly clear to me), I might actually answer the question. 🙂 (I realize other people gave real answers too, but still). I just wasn’t sure what “French/Italian fake-y” meant. And, for the record, there is no “genre” “e” sound in Italian (just so you know). [/QUOTE] Thank you! At least now I know how to pronounce Venti. > [@](#): > > “Venti” is a real word: it means “twenty”. As to whether Starbucks baristas actually know that: I doubt it. As to whether it’s a stupid thing to call a coffee that you should ignore: absolutely. Ah. Twenty. That makes sense, especially given it’s similarity to the French word for twenty. (And, it’s a 20-ounce cup, I’m thinking?) > [@](#): > > Agreed, which is why I don’t use the stupid names. > > “Largo” is the one that really gets me. “Largo” means “broad”. I have a “Largo” coffee from Bread Co. next to me right now (I ordered a large) and it’s no broader than any other cup I’ve ever seen. Now that IS stupido. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/87 "2007-12-07T19:09:26Z")
The following link has a picture of the side of a naked hip so Potential NSFW: > **[Bling H2O](https://blingh2o.com/)** > > Handcrafted Alkaline Water I saw a bottle at Walmart. Funny stuff. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/88 "2007-12-07T20:50:02Z")
[QUOTE=Bill Door] And not to lose track of the original post, someone paid a price they were willing to pay for a product, and then were outraged that the sellers were only donating a nickel to provide clean water to thirsty kids. What the fuck is that to you? Did you take money out of your water for thirsty children fund to pay for the Starbucks water? Hell, it’s a nickel more than the thirsty kids would have gotten otherwise. I don’t pay for bottled water, because where I live I have pipes full of the stuff, but if I did, I’d be pleased that a nickel a bottle went to thirsty children. [/QUOTE] I’ll add this: Starbucks probably isn’t spending that 5 cents to buy water directly. They’re probably donating it to an organization that leverages the money in efficient ways to help people acquire water. In some communities in some countries, that 5 cents would go toward a pump or something associated with a well or spring, and some fixes to these things might be more reasonably priced especially when combined with the aid and support of NGOs. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/89 "2007-12-08T02:53:01Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] Now…here’s the crux of the whole thing…the reason I don’t know how to pronounce “venti” is because I, not speaking any Italian whatsoever, do not know if the “genre” e sound is found in Italian, as it is in French. I also do not know if venti is even a real word, or, if it is, if the Starbucks people know how it is supposed to be pronounced, either, or if they just made the whole thing up. SO…that is why I said “French/Italian fake-y,” not because I think that French and Italian are the same language or have all the same pronounciations. All that aside, my point here is that I think their sizing thing is stupid, and while I think Starbucks offers a pretty good product, and the service is excellent, I am willing to fork over $4 for an occasional latte, but I’m not willing to order it any way but by saying “medium” or “large.” I am assuming, since they always give me what I want, that I am not alone in this, and I also assume that they are happy enough to get my $4 not to complain about my stubborn insistence on using the common vernacular of drink sizing. [/QUOTE] I think we should all definitely rebel by ordering in Italian: (not sure if this is right) “Vorrei un cafe machiato, caldo, grande, per favore.” When lines stall across the country, we will laugh in their face and say “If you want random Italian-language sizes, then deal with random Italian-language orders, cazzo!” Then we will prance away and make love with leprechauns while eating venti-sized linguine alfredo. Prego! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/90 "2007-12-08T12:59:55Z")
[Why on Earth would anyone think that Starbucks would give away water?](http://www.snopes.com/rumors/starbucks.asp) ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/91 "2007-12-09T01:07:15Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] Thank you! At least now I know how to pronounce Venti. Ah. Twenty. That makes sense, especially given it’s similarity to the French word for twenty. (And, it’s a 20-ounce cup, I’m thinking?) Now that IS stupido. [/QUOTE] Well, the cold Venti cups are actually 24 ounces. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/92 "2007-12-09T02:05:24Z")
[QUOTE=chaoticbear] Well, the cold Venti cups are actually 24 ounces. Weird. [/QUOTE] And Italian doesn’t use ounces. It should be called a settecento. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/93 "2007-12-09T02:28:28Z")
Starbucks bashing is 100% a class thing. Dunkin’ Donuts is Working Class, Starbucks is Middle Class, so preferring Starbucks to Dunkin’ Donuts means you are a Bourgeois Swine who will pay $100 a cup for water. Q.E.D. Now watch the back-pedaling. Especially from Q.E.D. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/94 "2007-12-09T02:35:13Z")
No backpedaling here. I _am_ middle class; I still think Starbucks sucks. Good call, there, Nostradamus. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/95 "2007-12-09T02:37:41Z")
OK, I was wrong. Back-pedaling requires enough honesty to at least partially admit you were wrong. I misjudged you. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/96 "2007-12-09T03:45:39Z")
Sure, if it floats your boat, I’ll happily cop to being wrong about their prices. That doesn’t alter either of my opinions that a) Starbucks coffee tastes like burnt ass and b) you’re a sucker for paying way more than a cup of hot, brown ass-water is worth. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/97 "2007-12-09T15:21:30Z")
[QUOTE=Freudian Slit] One seventy-five? the last time I bought water at the theatre, they charged me four dollars. For a weenie little bottle! [/QUOTE] Your bad. Stop buying water bottles shaped like [this !!](http://www.hearthstone-inn.com/Wienermobile1.JPG). ( safe for work ) 😉 I find the name of the water to be curiously nauseating. Ethos. What happened to Pathos or Greedo? Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/98 "2007-12-09T15:22:15Z")
[QUOTE=Cartooniverse] What happened to…Greedo? [/QUOTE] Han shot him. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/99 "2007-12-10T14:13:42Z")
[QUOTE=Windwalker] I think we should all definitely rebel by ordering in Italian: (not sure if this is right) “Vorrei un cafe machiato, caldo, grande, per favore.” When lines stall across the country, we will laugh in their face and say “If you want random Italian-language sizes, then deal with random Italian-language orders, cazzo!” Then we will prance away and make love with leprechauns while eating venti-sized linguine alfredo. Prego! [/QUOTE] ¡Molto bene! ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821/100 "2007-12-12T02:58:59Z")
[QUOTE=Windwalker] Then we will prance away and make love with leprechauns while eating venti-sized linguine alfredo. [/QUOTE] You had me _right_ up to the leprechauns. You really did. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ethos-water-starbucks/428821.md?page=4)