Tea

'builders' is just easier to say than 'proletariat', eh? 

Two syllables, baby! 

Yup, standard "builders' tea" will do the trick with most people!

No, no - my husband hates strong 'builders' tea (spent about 40 years trying to convince his mother to water his down). He likes very weak tea if it's PG tips, Tetleys etc, but drinks Earl Grey at home.

MTA 'builders' or 'brickies' tea oop here in the north signifies very, very strong tea.

Is it just me or do you find the first thing people do over here when you come into a home is offer you a cup of tea or coffee and it's considered rude if you don't?  Even builders or contractors? 

When our moving men arrived to deliver and unload all our household goods, the man knocked on the door and said, "Hello, could we have a cup of coffee?"  Having arrived at our empty home for the first time an hour prior myself, I told him, "Sorry but we have no coffeepot, no coffee, no sugar."     And I couldn't believe when he got all huffy and stomped off to the truck, not to be seen again!  He left it to the other removal men to do all the work.

When our moving men arrived to deliver and unload all our household goods, the man knocked on the door and said, "Hello, could we have a cup of coffee?"  Having arrived at our empty home for the first time an hour prior myself, I told him, "Sorry but we have no coffeepot, no coffee, no sugar."     And I couldn't believe when he got all huffy and stomped off to the truck, not to be seen again!  He left it to the other removal men to do all the work.

He was wrong to act like an erse about it, but you'll find that every 'guide to moving house' (or similar) in the UK recommends that you pack your kettle, teabags, instant coffee, milk & sugar in a seperate box so that you can make tea/coffee for the removals men (and yourself!) on arrival at the new house!