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Geoyo Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary

Coffee to go / to take away

Where I live, shops often have signs labelled "coffee to go". I've heard this expression is rather uncommon in some regions, especially in the UK, they use "take away" instead, and they wouldn't even understand if someone demands "coffee to go". Is this true? And is there a difference between American and British English?
  

Top answer

Yes, there are many differences between American and British English, and "take away" vs. "to go" is just one of them. Differences can involve spelling, pronunciation, usage and everyday expressions.

— Philip

  • Yes, there are many differences between American and British English, and "take away" vs.
  • "to go" is just one of them.
  • Differences can involve spelling, pronunciation, usage and everyday expressions.
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9 Answers
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Yes, there are many differences between American and British English, and "take away" vs. "to go" is just one of them. Differences can involve spelling, pronunciation, usage and everyday expressions.
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Philip, are you American? Do you say "to go"?
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Hi

I think, in the UK, we might expect:

- Are you having that here or to take away?

But I don't personally have a problem with 'to go'

Dave
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Thank you dave for confirming about UK Emotion: smile
Now I'm interested in the other way round, what about the US? Is "to go" more common the
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I am American, and I say, "to go". If I hadn't been to England and heard "take-away", I would find it very strange, indeed. I think I've never heard it here. Here, the agent will probably ask, "Is that for here or to go?"
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Thank you, that's very interesting. I think it's one of the larger differences between AmE and BrE
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While we're on the subject, Yanks call the food itself "takeout", and Brits call it "takeaway".
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Hi

Quite right! I was just about to say that the UK usage must be influenced by 'takeaway' (spelt as one word)

This is a UK custom, after going to the pub in the evening. On the way home, you buy food from a restaurant - quite often Indian or Chinese - and take it home to eat. That's a takeaway

Dave
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In the 1980s I attempted to order a meal "to go" in Hong Kong, which was still a British colony, at a fast food restaurant. The young woman behind the counter looked puzzled and asked, "to go where?" She only understood "take away."
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