Not my cup of tea means “not something I like”, “not my thing”. It is a polite way to say that you don't enjoy an activity, a genre or a place without criticising it. The idiom is informal and sounds good in IELTS Speaking when you are asked about hobbies or music. In written work, use does not appeal to me instead.
When would you say not my cup of tea?
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noun/-ing + is not + my/your/his + cup of tea; it's not really my cup of tea; not everyone's cup of tea
- Thanks for the invitation, but musicals aren't really my cup of tea.
- Camping isn't my cup of tea, so I'd rather book a small hotel near the lake.
- The museum is excellent, but modern art is not everyone's cup of tea.
What changed
First versionHorror films are not my cups of tea, so I'll skip the cinema tonight.
RevisionHorror films are not my cup of tea, so I'll skip the cinema tonight.
The subject horror films is plural, so it may seem that cup should be plural too. But the idiom doesn't change: cup of tea stays singular whatever the subject. Only the ending was removed: cups became cup.
The idiom is also used without not, although less often: A quiet weekend in the countryside is just my cup of tea. To soften a refusal, add really: It's not really my cup of tea sounds more polite than I hate it and doesn't offend people who love it.
Your turn
My flatmate loves loud clubs, but they're ___, so I usually stay at home with a book.
Show the answer
not my cup of tea — The flatmate loves clubs, while the speaker stays at home with a book: but shows that the speaker doesn't like clubs. So the answer is not my cup of tea. My cup of tea without not would mean that the speaker likes clubs, which contradicts the end of the sentence.
Write about a popular activity that you don't enjoy. Name it and explain what you would rather do instead.
Lots of my friends love karaoke, but it's not my cup of tea, so I'd rather invite them to a board game night.
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