Not my cup of tea
not my KUP of TEE /kʌp əv tiː/
Informal Polite
What it really means
The gentlest possible way to say "I do not like it". It criticises nothing and nobody — the mismatch is politely blamed on personal taste.
Chinese explanation
表达"不喜欢"的最温和方式。不批评任何人任何事——把不合拍礼貌地归因于个人口味。
Example conversation
A: Did you enjoy the opera?
B: It's not really my cup of tea, to be honest. But the costumes were amazing.
A：歌剧好看吗？
B：说实话不太对我的胃口。不过服装真的很惊艳。
All Politeness Decoder
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake