Is it
Instant coffee
Or
Coffee instant
Instant coffee
Or
Coffee instant
How do you say this?
- Thread starter DaveM
- Start date
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Well, around here, it's always been instant coffee just like it says on the label.
I am following this guys YouTube channel Steve1989MREInfo and he reviews old MRE from the different war periods. The coffee is always referred to as "coffee instant" and I have never heard it said this way until now, so I thought maybe this might just be an American thing. Even the labels have it this way.
Here is one of his videos
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVOIgPrDH7E
Here is one of his videos
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVOIgPrDH7E
@DaveM, it is not an "American" thing, it is an American military thing. They always ask, "What is this thing?", then they ask, "What kind of thing is this?" So, in this case, it is coffee, and it is an instant kind of coffee.
Last edited:
Greyfell, you are spot on. The military, for inventory purposes, uses the greatest object first, then narrowing it down: eg. coffee instant; coffee ground; coffee beans. This is the same logic that is used in computers. For example, if one needs to retrieve data by date, the data must be entered by year, month, day, time. The US way to express this verbally is day, time month, year.
As a "mere" civilian, it took me a little while to learn the military way of things. It is especially tough with the abbreviations, like LST = Landing Ship, Troop, and etc.
The military loves acronyms! We speak our own language, OCONUS TDY is on hold. Translation: Temporary duty orders for outside of the continental US are temporarily suspended.
Intresting, and now it sounds completely logical.
Yes, is is logical. I served as a unit supply sergeant for two years - before computers. That nomenclature system made it easy to find supples and parts in the catalogs.
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