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# cuppa

«cuppa» in Mova's school dictionary: **A cup of tea** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a cuppa, cuppas) — informal, UK/Ireland/Australia/NZ

### meaning for a pupil

1) (informal, UK/Australia/NZ/Ireland) A cup of tea. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cuppa/#m1)

2) (informal, less often) A cup of any hot drink, such as coffee. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cuppa/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

Very common in everyday British, Irish, Australian and New Zealand speech: adults offer visitors a cuppa, and «putting the kettle on» is a way to welcome and comfort people. In stories it shows a cosy, friendly or calm moment, or comfort after bad news. Phrases: «fancy a cuppa?», «put the kettle on for a cuppa», «a nice cuppa», «a cuppa and a biscuit». Safety: kettles and hot tea can burn — children should ask an adult.

### examples

- Fancy a cuppa? I'll put the kettle on. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cuppa/#x1)
- Nan sat down with a cuppa and a biscuit. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cuppa/#x2)
- After the long walk, everyone wanted a hot cuppa. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cuppa/#x3)
- Mum always makes a cuppa when she's had bad news. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cuppa/#x4)
- Let's have a quick cuppa before we leave. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cuppa/#x5)
- The builders stopped for a cuppa at ten. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cuppa/#x6)
- Grandad's idea of breakfast is toast and a strong cuppa. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cuppa/#x7)

### note

Informal: fine in speech and stories, not in formal writing. It comes from «cup of» said quickly. Countable: «two cuppas». In the US people rarely say it; Americans say «a cup of coffee». Spelling: double P.

### In the corpora

- [Waiting, missing someone or wanting a cuppa makes time feel longer than the clock says.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/108-how-long-since-counting-back/3/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «cuppa» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cuppa/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.