Kseniia
To fix a cup of tea Hello everyone! Could someone please tell me if "to fix a cup of tea" is a valid expression in English? I wrote, "I fixed a cup of tea for myself" today and was corrected ("made", not "fixed"), but I don't think I made this expression up because it doesn't make sense in my native language (we usually "fix" broken things in Russian so this is not a literal translation). Besides, Google kind of knows this phrase, even though there are not too many search results compared with "made a cup of tea". So, does it sound OK to you? Is this expression dated maybe? Should I simply stick with "make" then?
May 15, 2018 1:32 PM
Answers · 17
1
The expression is usually "fix" + indirect object + direct object, which is why "fix myself a cup of tea" sounds OK, but "fix a cup of tea" doesn't. In English, as in Russian, "fix" followed by just a direct object generally means to repair. It's also primarily an American expression, which explains why you didn't find many examples of fixing anyone a cup of tea on the internet. Americans use the expression, but don't make many cups of tea; Brits drink copious amounts of tea, but don't generally "fix" them for each other. Try "Fix me a drink, honey" and you'll get plenty of results. 1950s movie, American businessman returning from work.
May 15, 2018
1
'Make' is the most common choice by far, although 'fix' is not wrong. I'll fix myself a cup of tea... It sounds better to me that way than with 'myself' at the end of the sentence for some reason.
May 15, 2018
1
you will hear it very occasionally in the U.K but use "make" it is much more natural and standard.
May 15, 2018
1
I use both to be honest. I might depend on the dialect of english. In England I think it's "i will fix myself a cup of tea" and in the states it's "I will make myself a cup of tea".
May 15, 2018
1
Yes, saying "I fixed a cup of tea for myself." is correct, however, saying "I made a cup of tea for myself." sounds a bit more natural, and is used much more often. In my opinion, you can use whichever word you prefer. English speakers will still understand what you are saying. Hope this helps!
May 15, 2018
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