I could murder a cup of tea...

Question

A colloquial English phrase that basically means that you really really want a cup of tea.

Oops, the question was, is there an alternative in Spanish? - alexengijon, MAY 31, 2010

Note: The phrase can be used for almost anything that you desire. A beer - a pizza etc. - ian-hill, MAY 31, 2010

Also true Ian, thanks for adding that. - alexengijon, MAY 31, 2010

By "English" I take it that you mean "from England?" I have not heard this expression in North America. - waltico, MAY 31, 2010

Indeed! An English English phrase! - alexengijon, MAY 31, 2010

It's British English. - Gocika, MAY 31, 2010

Answer 1

En México se dice "me muero por una taza de té"

Although, it does not mean you will gulp it down or consume it greedily. It means that you have a powerful desire for it. - Agora, ENE 17, 2011

Answer 2

First of all, I am a Spaniard, so please excuse me for my English.

I do not think there is an exact equivalent in Spanish to this saying; you would say "Me muero por una taza de té", or "Me muero por tomar (and NOT por tener, at least in Spain's Spanish) una taza de té", or even "Mataría por una taza de té", although this last expression is a bit literary and you would not really say that in spoken Spanish.

There is an equivalent in Spanish to this type of saying, but in a different context: when you are really, really tired and wanting to sleep, you can say "voy a hacerle sangre al colchón" or "voy a hacerle sangre a la almohada" (what means: I am going to make the mattress -or the pillow- bleed)". This is something similar to "Oh man, I am going to hit the sack". But I do not think this Spanish expression is widely used these days at all.

Answer 3

I've never heard this phase in English.

All I can think of in Spanish is "Me muero por tener una taza de té." (I am dying for a cup of tea.)

It must be a British saying, I've lived in America all my life and never heard it here... - amykay, MAY 31, 2010

Answer 4

please delete

No lovely it is as shown. - ian-hill, MAY 31, 2010

This is an English phrase going back at least as far as 1975 when Sarah Jane Smith said to the Doctor in Doctor Who “Ooh, I could murder a cup of tea”. My question is: Is there a Spanish equivalent? - alexengijon, MAY 31, 2010

That's incorrect. The sentence makes no sense. - --Mariana--, MAY 31, 2010

It is a British saying and to reconcile the viewpoints it is suggested that it is an abbreviated form of murder for... but with a slightly different nuance. The murder for means you really want a cup of tea. The murder a cup... means you'll gulp it down - 0074b507, MAY 31, 2010

or consume it greedily. - 0074b507, MAY 31, 2010

Also true, but the point of my question seems to have been overlooked except for a suggestion by Marianne, thank you Marianne! - alexengijon, MAY 31, 2010

Answer 5

Isn't it maybe:

I could murder FOR a cup of tea...?

No. How I said it is right, google it if you don't believe me :p But I am an English native speaker and I assure you that it is 'I could murder a cup of tea.' - alexengijon, MAY 31, 2010

indeed - Gocika, MAY 31, 2010

Agreed. - ian-hill, MAY 31, 2010

Answer 6

Well: it is definately in the "british english" lexicon.

I have heard it in England, New Zealand and Australia, and can be used as Ian-Hill suggests.

I don't agree with the " I could kill for a bottle of water right now" usage (or equivalent translation) only due to the way the phrase is structured, the meanings are quite different. " I 'm so hungry I could eat a horse" would be a comparative phrase.

Answer 7

Whilst at university, and gagging for sweet and sour crispy pork balls, I said to my room mate 'I could murder a Chinese'.

'Why you won murder Chinese?' replied Xu Jing Yao.

It was quite funny...

Answer 8

¡Con qué gusto me tomaría una taza de té!

This is from the Oxford dictionary, which uses British English.

Answer 9

I agree with the various comments attempting to find an equivalent. There are close enough equivalents to the "murder F O R" expression, but not for the "murder a cup" - which if we think about it, is a really weird expression!