Coffee Idioms and expressions
37 Expressions and idioms related to coffee
- Bean counter
- Like a double espresso
- Cup of joe
- Black as the ace of spades
- Instant coffee
- Perk up
- In the coffee house
- Not for all the coffee in Brazil
- Bitter like espresso
- Decaf decision
- Mocha madness
- Full of beans
- Fresh brew
- Spill the beans
- Wake up and smell the coffee
- Blend into the crowd
- Brewing trouble
- It’s got to be hot
- A latte to handle
- Roast Someone
- Cup of Solace
- Steamed up
- Java jive
- Strong as coffee
- Espresso yourself
- Sugar-coated
- Whipped into shape
- Coffee break
- The daily grind
- Coffee table book
- Coffee’s for closers
- Swirl of activity
- The kettle calling the (coffee) pot black
- You look like you could use a coffee
- That and a nickel will buy you coffee
- Take it black
- Cold coffee
Coffee idioms and expressions with meanings and examples
1 – Bean counter
Meaning: A CPA or Bookkeeper
Example: My brother was always great with numbers, so he became a CPA or Bean Counter.
2 – Like a double espresso
Meaning: Something of high energy or very intense.
Example: Wow, I couldn’t keep up with Carl’s energy on the field today, he was like a Double Espresso.
3 – Cup of Joe
Meaning: Standard or regular cup of coffee.
Example: I don’t like those fancy coffees, I just like a regular Cup of Joe.
4 – Black as the ace of spades
Meaning: Something that is intensely Dark
Example: He likes his coffee like a night with no stars, Black as the ace of Spades, as he likes to say.
5 – Instant coffee
Meaning: Something very quick
Example: How can he expect his results to be like Instant Coffee when he does nothing and does not even work very hard?
6 – Perk Up
Meaning: Wake up/ Get energized
Example: Hey buddy, you have 4 more hours on your shift, you better do something to perk up.
7 – In the coffeehouse
Meaning: Engaged in casual talk
Example: Today was such a nice day with friends. All we did was relax and talk in the coffee house for hours.
8 – Not for all the coffee in Brazil
Meaning: Using this slang coffee expression means to say that nothing could stop you from doing something. Brazil is well known for producing a very large amount of the world’s coffee. Another variation with the same meaning is “Not for all the tea in China”.
Example: I have been waiting for this concert for years, and I wouldn’t miss it, not for all the coffee in Brazil.
9 – Bitter like espresso
Meaning: Very bitter
Example: I don’t know why, but Stacy is always Bitter like Espresso and has the worst attitude.
10- Decaf decision
Meaning: Taking the less exciting choices in life.
Example: I don’t know what Carl is so afraid of, but he never does anything risky and always takes the Decaf Decision when we talk about things to do for the weekend.
11- Mocha madness
Meaning: Obsessed with coffee
Example: Greg loves the Italian coffee machine that we bought him for his birthday and has been in a state of Mocha Madness, making all kinds of coffee drinks every day.
12- Full of beans
Meaning: Full of energy and zaniness
Example: My mom always said I was such a hyperactive and goofy kid, and would always say I was Full of Beans.
13- Fresh brew
Meaning: When something is new or has never been used.
Example: Today’s meeting was exciting as we talked about a ton of new ideas and focused on a Fresh Brew of ideas.
14- Spill the beans
Meaning: To reveal a secret or tell all of the details about something.
Example: I knew they were planning a surprise party and I wanted to know where, so I begged Samantha to Spill the beans and tell me everything so I wouldn’t be too surprised.
15- Wake up and smell the coffee
Meaning: This coffee idiom means to realize the truth or face reality.
Example: Toby had been ignoring his studies for the entire semester, and now was the day of the final tests, Toby is going to have to wake up and smell the coffee, and face the consequences of his laziness.
16- Blend into the crowd
Meaning: To be anonymous and not to stand out
Example: With his quiet demeanor and modest clothes, Kyle was very good at blending into the crowd.
17- Brewing trouble
Meaning: Creating problems. This coffee idiom relates to how the drink needs to be brewed before drinking it.
Example: She’s brewing trouble with her controversial statements around the workplace.
18- It’s got to be hot
Meaning: It’s got to be interesting or exciting. Many people prefer hot coffee
Example: I told you that I’m not going out unless that new club is good, because it’s got to be hot if I’m going to have fun.
19- A latte to handle
Meaning: A fun term for having a lot to deal with. It is more of a pun than a coffee idiom.
Example: Margaret quickly realized that volunteering to do the book club event alone would be a Latte to Handle and had to ask for help.
20- Roast someone
Meaning: To make fun of and to criticize humorously.
Example: It has become very popular for comedians to have these shows where they roast someone like Tom Brady or another celebrity.
21- A cup of Solace
Meaning: A private, perfect, happy place or situation.
Example: The window shelf in my apartment provides me with my little cup of Solace as I can sit in the sun in peace and read a book with coffee.
22- Steamed up
Meaning: When someone or something gets very angry
Example: The sergeant was all steamed up when he saw how out of shape the new batch of recruits were.
23- Java jive
Meaning: Talking over coffee or drinks
Example: Me and some of my co-workers meet early for a nice Java Jive before work to put us in good spirits.
24- Strong as coffee
Meaning: Something that is incredibly strong
Example: Wow, even though Jerry was smaller, he is as strong as coffee, and I would never want to wrestle him.
25- Espresso yourself
Meaning: This coffee phrase means to express freely.
Example: In her food blog, she espressos herself how she likes to.
26- Sugar-coated
Meaning: Made to be sweeter or more pleasant, just like how bitter coffee is treated with sugar.
Example: Even with all of the fake, sugar-coated words, I knew the new guy at the office was bad and would be trouble.
27- Whipped into shape
Meaning: Something forced or encouraged into a better condition.
Example: The new cadets at the military academy arrived in bad condition with no sense of order, but don’t worry, because the Sargent will whip them into shape.
28- Coffee break
Meaning: A short break or rest period from work.
Example: Besides our 30 to 60 minute lunch break, my job also gave us two shorter 15-minute coffee breaks.
29- The daily grind
Meaning: Mundane routine work that most people have to do to support themselves.
Example: We had a great time on our holiday in Hawaii, now we need to go back to the daily grind and make some money.
30- Coffee table book
Meaning: Usually a large picture or decorative book that is place on a coffee table or somewhere easily to pick up and read.
Example: The mother’s favorite item was the beautiful coffee table book of Salvador Dali and all of his amazing surreal art.
31- Coffee’s for closers
Meaning: Rewards for the most successful people.
Example: Our office had a saying for the best salespeople and how to motivate the others it was “coffee is for closers”.
32- Swirl of activity
Meaning: Busy, active, frothing milk for cappuccinos
Example: On the last day of school, everyone one including the teachers, were like a swirl of activity with all of the work/tests to finish, lockers to clean out, Year Books to sign, and goodbyes to be had.
33- The kettle calling the (coffee) pot black
Meaning: Accusing someone of the same fault they have.
Example: I don’t know why my neighbor gets mad when I drive my Harley Davidson motorbike around. I know it’s kind of loud, but that’s like him calling the Kettle Black since he has a loud Mustang.
34- You look like you could use a coffee
Meaning: You seem tired and in need of a pick-me-up.
Example: When I saw Kyle come into work that morning with no energy, I took him to the side and said, “My friend, you look like you could use a coffee”.
35- That and a nickel will buy you coffee
Meaning: This coffee expression is used to say that something is completely worthless. In days gone by, a person could buy a coffee with only one nickel. There is also the variation of “That and fifty cents will buy you coffee”.
Example: When she told me that she was going to major in French poetry, I replied, “That and a nickel will buy you coffee”.
36- Take it black
Meaning: No additions or extras
Example: I’m a simple coffee drink order, I just take it black with nothing else.
37- Cold coffee
Meaning: This coffee expression is a slang term for the word beer.
Example: Let’s go for a couple of cold coffees after work this Friday night.
