But indeed I would rather have nothing but tea. Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
For seats, two pairs of steps laid on their sides parallel to each other, about eight feet apart and at right angles to the fireplace, with the long plank placed across; and the upturned pails and the drawers of the dresser. The floor unswept and littered with dirt, scraps of paper, bits of plaster, pieces of lead pipe and dried mud; and in the midst the steaming bucket of stewed tea and the collection of cracked cups, jam-jars and condensed milk tins. And on the seats in their shabby and in some cases ragged clothing sitting and eating their coarse food and cracking jokes. Robert Tressell, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist
Mason: Will you have a nice cup of tea, sir?
Stanhope: Can you guarantee it’s nice?
Mason: Well, sir – it’s a bit oniony, but that’s only because of the saucepan. R C Sherriff, Journey’s End
European Parliament: If you sit in on the sessions, they go round with the tea trolley. They serve everyone there cups of tea. Mark Thomas Comedy Product s5e2, Channel 4 2001
Afternoon tea is now served well into the evening. Inside the World’s Greatest Hotels: The Ritz aka Secrets of the Ritz: The World’s Poshest Hotel, Channel 5 2020
Green ants’ nest tea – it’s smoky and citrusy, it’s pretty tasty. Australia with Simon Reeve II, BBC 2020