Why did my grandparents drink their tea in a saucer?

Question

I have enquired with friends who also had grandparents from Scotland and England drink from their cup then pour some in their saucer and drink from it as well. Was it a special custom or just to cool their tea?

Answer 1

the cup was too full, and it spilled into the saucer

Answer 2

Maybe they didn't have a cup or more likely it helped to cool it.

Answer 3

I used to do it because the cup was too full, and it spilled into the saucer

Answer 4

The saucer gives the tea a greater surface area, which increases the rate at which it cools.

Plus there is the "little kid in all of us" factor, because you get to slurp really loud.

Answer 5

My Mum used to do this, drove my Da crazy when she'd do

it in public. She was too impatient to let her coffee cool in the cup.

Answer 6

It either spilled into the saucer or they would put it into the saucer to help cool it faster for drinking.  There is a saying, "saucered and blown", which means that the topic has been discussed thoroughly.  Trivia c**p for anyone that wants to read it!  

Answer 7

That is how tea was first drunken in a bowl shaped saucer.