Re. Starbucks, by way of explanation...

[TL]

For the record, it's not just Starbucks that does this, but it was what immediately popped to mind, and even at Starbucks, it's not the "tall," "grande," "venti" that I have a problem with - if I want a grande, I order it as a "grande" - I don't say "medium," for exactly the reasons Jason brought up.  But it took me long enough to figure out that they call a grande iced coffee with a shot of espresso in it an "iced grande red-eye," but almost as soon as I started ordering it that way, they changed up on me and started throwing in this "iced grande iced no classic coffee with an add shot" thing, and then often, not always, but often, seemingly resenting me for ordering a simple red-eye.
That's all.
Carry on...

[Jason]

I thought you were for the working man, I guess success changed you.

[TL]

I thought you were for the working man, I guess success changed you.

I'm complicated.

[noise.light]

The thing about Starbucks is that it has upped the ante on all coffee now.  In the past I would order breakfast at a diner and half the time the coffee would be stale brown water.  Now, people are getting the idea that it isn't that hard to make good coffee.  These days the bad cup of coffee is a rare thing.  Which is nice.

[Spoony]

I can't bring myself to say it. I can't say "venti." I just can't. They can have my money, but they can't have my soul.

[TL]

I can't bring myself to say it. I can't say "venti." I just can't. They can have my money, but they can't have my soul.

You know, the thing is, that actually makes more sense than the others - it's "twenty" in Italian, as in "20 oz."  The one I have the problem with is "tall" for "small."
Why am I seriously having this discussion???
(Oh yeah - 'cause FOTchan's gone)

[jbissell]

I can't bring myself to say it. I can't say "venti." I just can't. They can have my money, but they can't have my soul.

Doesn't panhandling with a Starbucks cup make people less likely to give you change Spoony?

[AllisonLeGnome]

I usually order by saying "grande" if that's what I'm getting because I feel like they would know I'm being an asshole on purpose if I asked for a medium, but I still say "small" instead of "tall," since it's obvious what I mean and it sounds similar.

[erechoveraker]

When I used to barista I found that people who "came up" in Starbucks didn't know how to order coffee in a regular cafe. I can't remember anything specific, but I think macchiato's were a big confusion point. Plus they were always shocked that whipped cream and chocolate didn't come with everything.

I hate the jargon nazis though either way.

[Spoony]

You know, the thing is, that actually makes more sense than the others - it's "twenty" in Italian, as in "20 oz."  The one I have the problem with is "tall" for "small."
Why am I seriously having this discussion???
(Oh yeah - 'cause FOTchan's gone)

Hey, tonight's about the little things. I concede to the logic of the "Venti," but marketing gimmicks like that shake my soda. As for the "Tall" and "Grande," those titles are un-redeemable. You can't fit a baby's fist into a "tall." Oh well, I'm shouting at giants. At least they provide soy milk.

Doesn't panhandling with a Starbucks cup make people less likely to give you change Spoony?

Yes, no one hands it over to the kid with a Starbcucks cup. This kids a pauper because he didn't economize when he had it. He had to throw it away on the fancy stuff. Even worse with an Illy cup. You get kicked.

The ideal pan-handle is an orange peel full of change, on top of a mangy dog's head. If you can't find a mangy dog, then try to look like a chimney-sweep from Olde West Minster. Soot's easy to fake.

[yesno]

A macchiato is a shot of espresso with a tiny bit of foam on top.

To the extent that Starbucks confuses the issue by calling other drinks by that name, it needs to be destroyed.  Their regular brewed coffee is better than that of 99% of small coffee houses though, because they realize that caffeine and not taste is what matters.

Calling the dumb non-drink "latte macchiato" a macchiato is like calling a vodka martini a "martini."  I don't even drink and that pisses me off.

Also, there are only two valid naming schemes for drinks: (1) Small-Medium-Large and (2) Actual # of ounces in the cup.

[mostlymeat]

I can't say "grande". I want coffee not nachos.

And "venti" means friday in some language, I'm pretty sure. Friday coffee? on Monday? forget it.

"Tall" better be tall. Like, Richard Kiel tall.

small, medium, and large,

-Ajax

[Jixby Phillips]

I use LIKE IT, LOVE IT, GOTTA HAVE IT even when I'm NOT at Cold Stone Creamery

[Pete Velcro]

It's so bad at the movies now that I just point to the pop corn and drink I want and say "that one".

[gravy boat]

if they didn't use those exotic and fancy names, people would be less willing to pay so much for it.  and you can't argue with their success.

we've been manipulated successfully marketed to.