Tea Puns

Welcome to the Punpedia entry on tea puns! ☕ 🍵 Tea puns sit a few steps under coffee puns in terms of popularity, and are a little more “obscure” thanks to the depth of tea culture and the many unusual foreign (usually Asian) names of the different tea varieties.

There are a bunch of “entry-level” tea puns, and of course these mostly revolve around the word “tea” itself (positivi-tea, socie-tea, communi-tea, etc.). If you scroll lower in the puns list you’ll get to the more esoteric tea puns that might require knowledge of some lesser known tea terminology.

You might also like to visit the Punpedia entries on coffee puns and food puns.

Tea Puns List

Each item in this list describes a pun, or a set of puns which can be made by applying a rule. If you know of any puns about tea that we’re missing, please let us know in the comments at the end of this page!

  • Step → Steep: As in “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steep.” and “That was a steep too far.” and “Stay one steep ahead.” and “One steep forward, two steeps back.” and “You’ve got a spring in your steep.” and “Steep by steep.” and “One steep at a time.” and “Don’t steep out of line.” and “Steep on the gas!” and “He steeped down from the position.” and “Watch your steep!”
  • Sleep → Steep: As in “It’s fine to steep together on the first date.” and “And miles to go before I steep.” and “Beauty steep.” and “Don’t lose steep over it.” and “Goodnight, steep tight.” and “I could do it in my steep.” and “Steep with one eye open” and “Steep like a baby.”
  • Steep: As in “Tea culture has a steep learning curve.” and “This hill is steep.” and “Seventy dollars?! That’s a bit steep [expensive] isn’t it?” and “Calling me boring? That’s a bit steep [unfair]!”
  • Steeped: As in “Steeped in irony.” and “The university is steeped in tradition.” and “She steeped herself in the autobiographies of great mathematicians.”
  • Try → Chai: As in “Let me give this a chai…” and “Don’t chai this at home.” and “Nice chai.” and “Chai your luck/hand” and “You’ve seen the rest, now chai the best!” and “Don’t chai run before you can walk.” and “Chai and chai again.”
  • You → Brew: As in “Brew can do it!” and “Brew silly goose!” and “I’m so glad to see brew!” and “Before brew know it”
  • Bro → Brew: As in “What’s up, brew?” and “Cool story, brew.”
  • *brew*: If a word contains the “brew” sound (or similar) we can sometimes make a brewing pun: brewmstick (broomstick), brews (bruise), brewnette (brunette), brewtal (brutal), brewtalize (brutalize), brewtish, (brutish), Hebrew.
  • *byoo*: If a word contains the “byoo” sound (or similar) we can sometimes make a terrible tea brewing pun: brewtiful (beautiful), abrews (abuse), attribrewts (attributes), contribrewted, distribrewtion, rebrewke (rebuke), debrew (debut), retribrewtion, tribrewnal (tribunal).
  • Beautiful → Brew-tea-ful: As in “The start of a brew-tea-ful friendship.”
  • *proo*: If a word contains the “proo” sound (or similar) we can sometimes make a terrible brewing pun: abrewval (approval), bulletbrewf, dissabrewve, foolbrewf, imbrewvements, disbrewve, brewdent (prudent), brewdence (prudence), waterbrewf.
  • Déjà vu → Déjà brew: As in “I’m getting déjà brew – have we been to this cafe before?”
  • Tease → Teas: As in “You’re such a teas!” and “Stop teas-ing him – that’s not nice.” and “Teas the knots out.”
  • *ty → *-tea: If words end in “ty” you’ve got yourself an entry-level tea pun: par-tea, socie-teaci-tea, communi-tea, authori-tea, universi-tea, quali-tea, activi-tea, twen-tea, securi-tea, proper-tea, opportuni-tea, coun-tea, responsibili-tea, majori-tea, du-tea, abili-tea, difficul-tea, thir-tea, varie-tea, fif-tea, safe-tea, possibili-tea, reali-tea, for-tea, emp-tea, capaci-tea, facili-tea, pret-tea, trea-tea, six-tea, depu-tea, nine-tea, priori-tea, liabili-tea, beau-tea, eigh-tea, guil-tea, identi-tea, chari-tea, minori-tea, electrici-tea, seven-tea, quanti-tea, personali-tea, penal-tea, anxie-tea, uni-tea, dir-tea, plen-tea, uncertain-tea, mortali-tea, stabili-tea, equi-tea, pi-tea, flexibili-tea, productivi-tea, complexi-tea, necessi-tea, availabili-tea, nas-tea, disabili-tea, loyal-tea, densi-tea, probabili-tea, intensi-tea, liber-tea, sensitivi-tea, equali-tea, hostili-tea, pover-tea, enti-tea, facul-tea, integri-tea, mobili-tea, certain-tea, maturi-tea, diversi-tea, sexuali-tea, capabili-tea, continui-tea, digni-tea, utili-tea, morali-tea, publici-tea, similari-tea, accountabili-tea, casual-tea, commodi-tea, curiosi-tea, gravi-tea, sovereign-tea, inequali-tea, amnes-tea, clari-tea, inabili-tea, majes-tea, prosperi-tea, solidari-tea, migh-tea, ambigui-tea, simplici-tea, veloci-tea, hospitali-tea, locali-tea, profitabili-tea, nationali-tea, affini-tea, cruel-tea, dus-tea, pet-tea, reliabili-tea, superiori-tea, indemni-tea, hones-tea, materni-tea, naugh-tea, nobili-tea, populari-tea, proximi-tea, puri-tea, royal-tea, severi-tea, validi-tea, warran-tea, immuni-tea, fat-tea, fertili-tea, generosi-tea, homosexuali-tea, humani-tea, instabili-tea, rationali-tea, speciali-tea, vicini-tea, ameni-tea, celebri-tea, dynas-tea, formali-tea, novel-tea, vulnerabili-tea, abnormali-tea, antiqui-tea, compatibili-tea, credibili-tea, familiari-tea, felici-tea, objectivi-tea, specifici-tea, cavi-tea, rus-tea, austeri-tea, bat-tea, captivi-tea, creativi-tea, dei-tea, eterni-tea, individuali-tea, ingenui-tea, insecuri-tea, masculini-tea, mentali-tea, moderni-tea, pari-tea, tas-tea, trini-tea, uniformi-tea, vani-tea, variabili-tea, volatili-tea, wit-tea, confidentiali-tea, elastici-tea, impossibili-tea, rari-tea, regulari-tea, sensibili-tea, singulari-tea, subjectivi-tea, subtle-tea, absurdi-tea, accessibili-tea, acidi-tea, admiral-tea, aun-tea, brutali-tea, desirabili-tea, dispari-tea, eligibili-tea, feminini-tea, functionali-tea, generali-tea, has-tea, hef-tea, humidi-tea, infini-tea, legali-tea, liquidi-tea, lof-tea, mis-tea, modes-tea, motili-tea, multiplici-tea, normali-tea, originali-tea, propensi-tea, relativi-tea, sinceri-tea, stupidi-tea, thirs-tea, totali-tea, veri-tea, conformi-tea, divini-tea, ethnici-tea, faul-tea, feasibili-tea, fraterni-tea, hear-tea, irregulari-tea, jet-tea, multipar-tea, neutrali-tea, nut-tea, obsceni-tea, obscuri-tea, pie-tea, sure-tea, viabili-tea, visibili-tea, vitali-tea, actuali-tea, adversi-tea, almigh-tea, animosi-tea, annui-tea, applicabili-tea, ar-tea, atroci-tea, authentici-tea, boun-tea, centrali-tea, complici-tea, craf-tea, discontinui-tea, dishones-tea, durabili-tea, feroci-tea, frail-tea, fros-tea, frui-tea, futili-tea, grit-tea, heterogenei-tea, inevitabili-tea, inferiori-tea, insani-tea, kit-tea, morbidi-tea, permeabili-tea, plurali-tea, porosi-tea, practicali-tea, proprie-tea, radioactivi-tea, reciproci-tea, rigidi-tea, sal-tea, sancti-tea, scarci-tea, sensuali-tea, spirituali-tea, suitabili-tea, susceptibili-tea, swea-tea, toxici-tea, universali-tea, virgini-tea, viscosi-tea, weigh-tea, acceptabili-tea, anonymi-tea, boo-tea, dain-tea, dot-tea, eccentrici-tea, eventuali-tea, externali-tea, extremi-tea, fatali-tea, fideli-tea, humili-tea, immorali-tea, impuri-tea, incapaci-tea, incompatibili-tea, indigni-tea, lai-tea, oddi-tea, peculiari-tea, polari-tea, potentiali-tea, pot-tea, principali-tea, respectabili-tea, sani-tea, special-tea, technicali-tea, tranquilli-tea, acui-tea, adaptabili-tea, agili-tea, alkalini-tea, angioplas-tea, artificiali-tea, banali-tea, calami-tea, causali-tea, chat-tea, civili-tea, collectivi-tea, commonali-tea, conductivi-tea, connectivi-tea, criminali-tea, crus-tea, deformi-tea, depravi-tea, disuni-tea, domestici-tea, draugh-tea, duali-tea, duplici-tea, enmi-tea, enormi-tea, entire-tea, falsi-tea, festivi-tea, finali-tea, fluidi-tea, fragili-tea, frivoli-tea, gaie-tea, haugh-tea, homogenei-tea, hypersensitivi-tea, illegali-tea, immortali-tea, immunoreactivi-tea, impartiali-tea, improprie-tea, inactivi-tea, incongrui-tea, increduli-tea, infideli-tea, infirmi-tea, inflexibili-tea, iniqui-tea, insensitivi-tea, interci-tea, interoperabili-tea, invalidi-tea, irrationali-tea, irritabili-tea, knot-tea, longevi-tea, lucidi-tea, luminosi-tea, lus-tea, materiali-tea, mea-tea, mediocri-tea, monstrosi-tea, municipali-tea, mus-tea, mutuali-tea, naive-tea, negativi-tea, nif-tea, notorie-tea, obesi-tea, opaci-tea, particulari-tea, passivi-tea, perpetui-tea, perplexi-tea, perversi-tea, plausibili-tea, poli-tea, pomposi-tea, posteri-tea, proportionali-tea, puber-tea, put-tea, reactivi-tea, resistivi-tea, salini-tea, scan-tea, selectivi-tea, seniori-tea, sereni-tea, shan-tea, shif-tea, shit-tea, sociabili-tea, solemni-tea, solidi-tea, solubili-tea, soo-tea, spontanei-tea. If you need more, check out this list of words ending in “ty”.
  • *tea*: If a word contains the the “tea” sound (or similar) it can be turned into a simple tea pun: teadioustea-cher, tea-ching, tea-m, tease, tea-dium, tea-nager, tea-tering, tea-th, abducteas, absen-tea-ism, adoptea, an-tea-ter, an-tea (anti), an-tea-oxidant, an-tea-ques, appoin-tea, Argen-tea-na, an-tea-depressant, bou-tea-que, car-tea-sian, cri-tea-que, es-tea-m, emp-tea-ness, fa-tea-gue, fif-tea-n, four-tea-n, thir-tea-n, six-tea-n, seven-tea-n, eigh-tea-n, nine-tea-n, gen-tea-l, guaran-tea, La-tea-no, mar-tea-ni, mul-tea (multi), mul-tea-faceted, migh-tea-est, mul-tea-millionaire, mul-tea-tasking, os-tea-oporosis, pe-tea-t, quaran-tea-n, s-tea-p / steap, s-tea-l, Socra-teas, s-tea-my / steamy, s-tea-p, strip-tea-se, stra-tea-gically.
  • *tie* → *tea*: As in “Black tea” and “Equal opportuniteas” and “Necktea party” and “Tea the knot” and “Tea up the loose ends” and “Tea yourself in knots.”
  • To → Tea: As in, “An accident waiting tea happen” and “According tea” and “All dressed up and nowhere tea go” and “Not all it’s cracked up tea be.”
  • Too → Tea: As in, “About time tea” and “Never tea late to” and “You know tea much” and “Life’s tea short.”
  • *tee* → *tea*: As in, “To the teath” and “Smells like tean spirit” and “Teaming with energy” and “100% guarantea” and “Self-esteam.” Other words you could use: teanager (teenager), committea (committee), repartea (repartee), trustea, mentea, devotea, esteam (esteem), voluntear and cantean.
  • *tei* → *tea*: As in, “Protean shake” and “Frankenstean.”
  • *teo* → *tea*: As in, courteaous, righteaous, meteaor and oesteaoporosis.
  • *teu* → *tea*: As in, “An amateaur performance” and “Agent provocateaur.”
  • *tey* → *tea*: As in, “Okay then matea” and “A chocolatea taste.”
  • *tie* → *tea*: sortea (sortie), auntea (auntie), sweetea, sentea-ent (sentient), frontea-er (frontier), ameniteas, faciliteas.
  • Tiara → Tea-ara
  • *tyi* → *tea*: As in, “Partea-ing ’til morning” and “Emptea-ing your cup” and “A pitea-ing look.”
  • *dee → *tea: As in, “Party attenteas” and “The awar-teas (awardees) are…”
  • *deo* → *tea*: As in, “Vi-teao (video) star” and “A hitea-ous day” and “Opposing itea-ologies.”
  • *die* → *tea*: As in, “A captive autea-ence” and “Obetea-ent puppies.”
  • Tree → Tea: As in, “Can’t see the wood for the teas” and “Family tea.”
  • Procrastinating → Procaffeinating: As in “I should have been studying for the exam, but I was procaffeinating.”
  • Mug: This can be slang for “face” or for “attack or rob in a public place”. Examples: “I was mugged in broad daylight.” and “We have mug shots of this criminal back at the station.”
  • Strain: As in “I’m really straining to come up with these tea puns.” and “Don’t buckle under the strain.” and “Use proper lifting techniques – don’t strain your back.”
  • Sent → Scent: As in “Scent packing.” and “I’ve scent it by express, so it should arrive soon.” and “Heaven scent.”
  • Pot: As in “Pot luck” and “The melting pot” and “He’s a bit of a fuss pot.” and “A pot shot” and “A pot of gold”
  • Leave → Leaf: As in “Absent without leaf.” and “Leaf no stone unturned” and “Leaf your options open.” and “Love them and leaf them.” and “That’s going to leaf a mark!” and “I’m leafing tomorrow morning.”
  • Love → Leaf: As in “I leaf you so much!” and “Leaf is in the air.”
  • Laugh → Leaf: As in “Leaf all the way to the bank.” and “Leaf in your face.” and “Leaf your head off.”
  • Leaves: As in “She leaves without a trace.”
  • Blend: As in “Try to blend in.”
  • Bend → Blend: As in “Around the blend.” and “You need to blend the rules a little.” and “Blend to my will.”
  • Bitter: As in “He came to a bitter end.” and “That’s a bitter pill to swallow.” and “No need to be bitter! (resentful)”
  • Cop → Cup: As in “The cuppers pulled me over because of my broken tail light.” and “When I grow up I wanna be a cup so I can fight crime.”
  • Cup: This has a few different meaning outside of the normal one. The term “cup” is used in the measurement of bra sizes, and can be used as a verb for “form into the shape of a cup” (especially when referring to hands). These other definitions might be opportunities for subtle cup puns / tea puns.
  • Lukewarm: This means “lacking interest, enthusiasm or conviction” and also “mildly warm”. It’s often used to describe tea that isn’t hot enough. Examples: “A lukewarm applause” and “Your tea puns are lukewarm at best.”
  • Sentimental → Sedimental: As in “This antique tea pot has a lot of sedimental value.”
  • Above her age → A beverage: As in “Her reading skills are a beverage” and “She pitches a beverage – that’s why she got into the national team.” and “She’s a beverage group in all her subjects.”
  • Stimulate: As in “This was a stimulating discussion, but I need to go now.” and “The courses aim to stimulate a passion for learning.”
  • Milky: This means “weak and compliant”. Example: “They just talk that way to make you turn milky.”
  • Milk: This can mean “exploit” or “fleece” or “get all possible advantage from a situation”. For example: “The newspapers were milking the story for every possible drop of drama.” and “They milked me dry.” and “Milk it for all it’s worth.”
  • Sugar: This can be used as a replacement for “shit” as in “Oh sugar!”. It is also used as a term of endearment as in “How are you feeling, sugar?”
  • Fair tradeThis term refers to a social movement which seeks to help producers in developing countries and promote sustainable farming. It’s often used to refer to “fair trade tea”. We can use it as a tea pun fairly easily: “I’ll stop making tea puns, and you give me ten dollars. Is that a fair trade?”
  • *sip*: If a word contains the “sip” sound, it’s an opportunity for a terrible pun on “sip” as in “to sip your tea” (so long as you emphasise the “sip” part somehow): Mississipi, disiplinarian, munisipality, presipitate, partisiples, presipitated, prinsipally, resipient, resiprocity.
  • *sep*: If a word contains the “sep” sound it’s a chance to make a terribly corny “sip” pun (perhaps emphasise with hyphens or underline/bold): ac-sip-tability (acceptability), bisips (biceps), consiption (conception), consipt (concept), desiptive, impersiptable, desiptive, misconsiption, persiptive, resiption, resiptionist, resiptivity, resiptors, siparatists (seperatists), siparation, siparate, susiptability, intersipt.
  • They can’t → Decant: As in “They’re banned. Decant come back here.” and “Decant stop me. I can do anything.”
  • Earn → Urn: As in “I don’t urn much at the moment, but I’m working my way up.” and “You’ve urned it.” and “Urn an honest penny.” An “urn” in the context of tea is usually a large vessel which contains hot water and a tap to dispense it. The Russian samovar is an example, and the wall-mounted hot water “urns” in office break-rooms are another.
  • Mouldy → Malty: As in “Your tea puns are worse than malty sandwiches!”
  • Felt her → Filter: As in “I filter breathing down the back of my neck.” and “I filter gaze fall on me.”
  • Filled her → Filter: As in “She has filter tea pun quota for today.”
  • Plunge → Plunger: As in “Take the plunger!” and “She jumped form the jetty and plungered into the sea.” (A reference to “french presses” which are sometimes used for tea)
  • Settle → Kettle: As in “Kettle down everyone.” and “We should kettle this out of court.” and “I’ve got a score to kettle.” and “Never kettle for second best.”
  • Ready → Red tea: As in “I was born red tea.” and “Red tea, steady, go!” and “All fired up and red tea to go.”
  • Heard → Herb: As in “I herb it on the grape vine.” and “You herb it here first.” and “You could have herb a pin drop.”
  • Curb → Herb: As in “Herb your enthusiasm.” and “Drive up onto the herb.”
  • *erb* → *herb*: If a word contains the “herb” sound (or similar) a cringe-worthy herbal tea pun can sometimes be made: advherb, distherbance, distherbingly, exacherbate, aftherburner, countherbalance, hypherbole, knickherbockers, mastherbate, nonvherbal, refherbishment, rivherbankherbanization, vherbalize.
  • Refuse → Infuse: As in “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t infuse.”
  • Confuse → Infuse: As in: “I think you’ve infused me for someone else.”
  • Infuse: As in: “Her poetry is infused with an intense anger born of the oppression she experienced as a child.”
  • Flowery: As in: “The flowery prose doesn’t make up for a lack of substance.”
  • Died → Dried: As in: “Dried and gone to heaven.” and “I almost dried of laughter.” and “I’m drying!”
  • Dry: As in “These tea puns are very dry.” and “Dry humour” and “Hung out to dry” and “Keep your powder dry” and “As dry as dust”
  • Lip → Lipton: As in “This tea is hot! I just burned my Lipton on it.” and “Keep a stiff upper Lipton.” and “Pay Lipton service to”
  • Lining → Twining: As in “Every cloud has a silver Twining.”
  • Dill → Dilmah: As in “He’s a bit of a Dilmah.”
  • Until my (’til ma) → Dilmah: As in “Dilmah dying day.” and “It ain’t over Dilmah heart stops beating.”
  • Bag: As in “Bag a bargain.” and “It’s in the bag.” and “Let the cat out of the bag.” and “Douche bag” and “Body bag” and “Bag of tricks”
  • Heated / Cool down: As in “his discussion is getting quite heated. We all need to cool down and talk this through calmly.”
  • Along → Oolong: As in “Can I tag oolong?” and “Hurry/Run oolong now.” and “Mosey oolong.” and “Moving right oolong.” and “We get oolong fine.” and “I’m just oolong for the ride.”
  • A long → Oolong: As in “It’s been oolong time.” and “Take oolong walk along a short plank.” and “To cut oolong story short …” and “Not by oolong shot.”
  • Fruity: Other than referring to actual fruit, this term also has several slang definitions including being flamboyant or “bouncy”. It may also refer to someone who is considered crazy in some respect.
  • Honey: As in “Honey, do you know where my keys are?”
  • Shrug → Shrub: As in “Shrub your shoulders” and “Shrub it off.”
  • Darling → Darjeeling: As in “My darjeeling wife.” and “He is such a darjeeling!”
  • Burn a → Burma: As in “It’ll Burma hole in your pocket.” and “You’ll Burma lot of bridges if you do that.”
  • Ginger: As in “She slapped his hand lightly to ginger him up” (to make someone more lively) and “The cat’s fur was ginger with speckles of white.” and “I gingered up after having my morning tea.”
  • Gingerly: This means “in a careful or cautious manner”. As in “She gingerly turned the door nob.” and “Risking everything, I gingerly made one last tea pun.”
  • Poor → Pu’er / Pu-erh: As in “Dirt pu’er.” and “Pu-erh, but honest.” and “The rich get richer and the pu-erh get pu-erher.” and “A pu’er work-person blames their tools.”
  • Pour → Pu’er / Pu-erh: As in “Can you pu’er me a cup of that?” and “Raining and pu-erhing.”
  • Tightly → Tetley: As in “Hold on Tetley!”
  • Deadly → Tetley: As in “Assault with a Tetley weapon.” and “The seven Tetley sins.”
  • Saucy / Saucier → Saucer: This is a corny one. “Saucy” has different meanings in different places. Sometimes it has a sexual connotation, other times it means “cheeky”. You’ll have to construct your pun with the audience in mind.
  • D-cup → Teacup: As in “I lost a little weight and am now a teacup.”
  • Peek or → Pekoe: As in “Close your eyes… Don’t pekoe it’ll ruin the surprise!”
  • Peek-a-boo →Pekoe-boo
  • Some of our → Samovar: This refers to a highly decorated tea urn used in Russia. Examples: “Samovar best tea has come from this urn.” and “Samovar luggage was lost on the trip.”
  • So strong → Souchong: “Souchong” is pronounced “soo-shong” and is a fine black variety of China tea. As in “I couldn’t lift that – you’re souchong!” (The most terrible tea pun?)
  • Hi, son → Hyson: As in “Hyson, it’s me, your mother.”
  • Bore his → Boheas: As in “I didn’t want to boheas brains out with all my tea knowledge.” and “Boheas pants off”
  • Grey → Earl Grey: As in “Fifty Shades of Earl Grey” and “Where do you draw the line? It’s a bit of an Earl Grey area.” and “Men in Earl Grey suits”
  • Burger might→ Bergamot: This term’s English pronunciation sounds like “berga-mot” or “berga-met” (pretty much as it is spelt). Example: “What should we do for dinner? A bergamot be nice.”
  • Upon → Yaupon: As in “Once yaupon a time.” and “Cast your bread yaupon the waters.” and “I will wear my heart yaupon my sleeve.” and “Sorry, I didn’t mean to impose yaupon you all.” and “Yaupon your head be it.” and “Wish yaupon a star.”
  • Us and → Assam-d: As in “Don’t see it as Assam-d them” and “Help Assam-d we’ll help you.”
  • Bunch of → Bancha: As in “You’re a bancha fools!” and “I’ll get one bancha flowers thanks.”
  • Salon → Ceylon: As in “A hairdressing ceylon” and “Washington political ceylons
  • Sail on →Ceylon: As in “We had to ceylon through the storm.”
  • Doors → Dooars: As in “Behind closed Dooars” and “A degree with this university opens Dooars.”
  • Long chin → Longjing: Not sure if this one would ever be useful…
  • Baby lotion → Ba Bi Luo Chun: Another one of questionable utility.
  • Send your → Sencha: As in “Sencha mail by express if you want it to arrive by Wednesday.”
  • Bushels → Bushells: A “bushel” is a measurement for dry goods equal to about 35 litres (64 US pints), and “Bushells” is a well-known brand of Australia tea. A pun might be made here by replacing any usual unit of (volume or mass) measurement (litres, tonnes, barrels) with “Bushells”.
  • Loose: As in “All hell broke loose.” and “Cut loose” and “A loose end” and “Speaking loosely, …” and “Loose lips sink ships.”

Tea-Related Phrases

Common phrases, idioms and cliches which are related to tea can be used for some subtle and witty word play. Here is a list of the tea themed phrases that we’ve found so far:

  • not my cup of tea
  • tea and sympathy
  • that just about takes the biscuit
  • steeped in irony
  • different kettle of fish
  • the pot calling the kettle black
  • a watched pot never boils
  • between the cup and the lip
  • don’t cry over spilt milk
  • came to a bitter end
  • take the bitter with sweet
  • a bitter pill to swallow
  • in hot water
  • my cup runneth over
  • stir the pot
  • some pots you don’t stir
  • storm in a teacup
  • tempest in a teapot
  • not for all the tea in China
  • a storm is brewing
  • trouble is brewing
  • to a T
  • turn over a new leaf,
  • leaf through
  • buckle under the strain
  • strain every nerve
  • bag of tricks
  • it’s in the bag

Tea-Related Words

There are many more puns to be made than could be documented in this Punpedia entry, and so we’ve compiled a list of tea-related concepts for you to use when creating your own puns. If you come up with a new pun, please share it in the comments!

brew, beverage, green tea, green, black, black tea, white tea, oolong, drink, tea leaf, caffeine, herbal tea, afternoon tea, iced tea, shrub, darjeeling tea, pot, tea time, chamomile / camomile, rooibos, camellia, chicory, cuppa, burma, sichuan, chai, tipple, teapot, ginger, pu-erh, puer, Nepal, India, theophylline, Tetley, astringent, lemon, saucer, teacup, cup, breakfast, spices, sugar, milk, milky, urn, pekoe, teahouse, samovar, teaspoon, souchong, hyson, bohea, tea party, tea bag, tea garden, tea tray, theine, earl grey, darjeeling, kettle, creamer, tea cloth, continental breakfast, camellia, infuse, infusion, infuser, tea set, kombucha, steep, high tea, decaffeinated, yaupon, assam, aroma, bancha, ceylon, dooar, English breakfast, fermentation, formosa, gyokuro, Hyson, I-Chiban Cha, imperial tea, instant tea, Jasmine, Keemun, Lapsand Soucho, souchong, red tea, Russian caravan, sencha, scented, tannin, tarry, tisane, woody, ching wo, chunmee, congou, cream tea, dickoya, fannings, fruity, bitter, malty, flowery, Nilgiri, theanine, matcha, antioxidant, autumnal, Yorkshire, Lipton, Dilmah, Bushells, lemongrass, honeybush, yerba mate, traditional, vanilla, blend, Twinings, bag, loose, teaball, tea egg, strain, flowery, dried flowers, dried, dry, bergamot.

Tea Jokes

If you’re looking for some very corny tea jokes, you’ve come to the right place. All of these one-liner-style tea jokes use puns in their punchline. Some are phonetic puns, others are based on a slang phrase or cliche related to tea.

  • Why did Marx hate Earl Grey? – Because all proper tea is theft.
  • Why was the tea bag begging on the street? – Because it was puer.
  • What starts with t, ends with t, and is full of t? – A teapot!
  • What is a baby’s teapot favorite game? – Pekoe-boo
  • How long does it take to ship tea from Chinese? – Oolong time!
  • What type of tea to talkative people drink? – Chai tea
  • When should you avoid drinking a hot beverage? – When it’s not your cup of tea.
  • How does Moses make his tea? – Hebrews it.
  • Why do hipsters only drink iced tea? – Because ice was water before it was cool.
  • What does a teapot say to it’s lover? – O, dajarling!
  • What do you call a dentist who doesn’t like tea? – Denis.
  • Why did the hipster burn her tongue? – She drank her tea before it was cool.
  • Why did the teapot get in trouble? – Because it was naught-tea.
  • What kind of tea did the American colonists want? – Liberty
  • What does a teabag do when it’s tired? – It seeps.
  • What type of tea should you drink before a long desert journey? – Camel-mile tea.
  • What type of tea do politicians need to drink more of? – Honest-tea.

Tea Pun Images

Below is a collection of tea-related visual puns and meme-type images. If you’ve created your own visual tea puns or found one that we’ve missed, please post us a link in the comments section 🙂

Did this Punpedia entry help you?

Did you find the tea-related pun that you were looking for? If so, great! Otherwise, please let us know what you were looking for in the comments, below! Are you looking for puns for text messages, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or some other social media platform? Would you like to see more funny tea pun images? Or perhaps you just want more tea puns for your photo captions? Whatever the case, please let us know, and help us improve this Punpedia entry. If you’re got any tea puns (image or text) that aren’t included in this article, please submit them in the comments and one of our curators will add it as soon as possible. Thanks for visiting Punpedia 🙂

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