[General] going to buy a cup of iced tea

[Silverobama]

I was in a restaurant with David and I wanted to leave. He asked me why and I said "I'm going to buy a cup of iced tea".

Next to the restaurant is a drink shop and they sell iced tea. Is it natural to use the italic sentence?

 

[GoesStation]

Iced tea comes in a glass here in the States. Is it served in cups in China? If so, your sentence is fine.

 

[Silverobama]

Iced tea comes in a glass here in the States. Is it served in cups in China? If so, your sentence is fine.

Yes, it's in a glass here too. But I bought a take-away iced tea. I can't take away a glass of iced tea. They gave me a paper cup. How can I rephrase my question?

"I'm going to buy a paper cup of iced tea".

I think the above sentence is not good, though.

 

[Rover_KE]

Say "I'm going to buy an iced tea".

 

[emsr2d2]

If you need to make it clear that you won't be drinking it on the premises, you could say "I'm going to get a takeaway iced tea" or "I'm going to get an iced tea to take away".

 

[GoesStation]

If you need to make it clear that you won't be drinking it on the premises, you could say "I'm going to get a takeaway iced tea" or "I'm going to get an iced tea to take away".

"To go" in American English.

 

[Yankee]

Natural? Yes. And I'm sure David would understand, regardless of how the shop served the tea.

 

[Tdol]

It sounds natural to my BrE ears.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

If David says, "Why do you want to leave?" I might say:

- "To get an iced tea."

- "I want to get an iced tea."

- "I'm going next door for an iced tea."

- "They have iced tea next door."​

I would not name the container. Of course it will be in something.

I would not say I was buying it. David knows I'm not going to steal it. (I hope!)