Spilling the beans

AGENCIES

Each person has one’s favourite coffee mug. And the mug has its own unique personality. What does your choice say about you?

Personalised mug

This person has a very special relationship with her caffeine ritual. Finding the right mug is as important as the beverage she brews in it. Either she went out and purchased the mug for herself, or, through some special school project, her adoring child made her a cup that she uses all the time. You never see this person with a different mug; it’s always the same one.

Loyal and conscientious, this person will never let you down — but don’t even think about taking her mug. Some things are unforgivable.

Pottery mug

This is a down-to-earth, gentle soul who sees her mug as jewellery for her beverage. Sometimes she uses a warming plate to keep her liquid hot or has a decorative lid to keep the heat inside. Either way, this connoisseur is easily comparable to Goldilocks — she likes her drink just right. And that goes for everything else in her life. Potentially picky to a fault, she has impeccable manners, please and thank you so much.

Corporate mug

Likely given to the staff member the day he started, the corporate mug is an extension of the person himself. Work, work, work is his motto. Committed, driven, and focused, this person sees his coffee break as a social outlet. Although not anti-social, once this guy gets into his office and down to the task at hand, who knows when you might see him again.

Seasonal mug

You guessed it — sensitive and nurturing. This drinker always has the decorative Christmas mug or the blooming spring cup that she pulls out at the beginning of the season. And then uses it for the entire season without ever washing it! With mugs that are permanently stained and worn from season after season of use, this mug-owner is rational, level-headed, and surprisingly healthy. She is also the keeper of tradition and the mainstay of any successful organisation.

Inspirational mug

Do you need reminding that today is the first day of the rest of your life? Or that teamwork doesn’t contain an ‘I’? This guy likely doesn’t either, but he does need reminding that life is going on around him. A bit of a dreamer, deep-thinker, and blue skier, he needs something to bring him back to reality. ‘Wake up and smell the coffee’ was a statement made for this guy. Although he’s a diligent worker, he has trouble with the details. Good thing he is calm and dependable and not easily offended by numerous follow-ups.

Styrofoam cup

What can you say about this person? Poor planner? Opportunistic? Wasteful? Could be any of the above, but what’s probably true is she’s thrifty. Why spend her money on a mug for work when there are perfectly good cups there? Happy-go-lucky, ready to take on whatever comes her way, this person could be a ticking time bomb on the inside who can’t handle the added stress of being responsible for her own cup. Or, she gave her mug away to someone who needed it more than she did.

Travel mug

This person want his coffee portable and hot. He’s a man on the go who doesn’t stand on ceremony; for him, it’s all about functionality. And no accidents for this fella, it’s best to keep a lid on things at all times. Organised and neat to the point of compulsion, this guy may not even need caffeine, since he’s so high strung. He may even have more than one travel mug, colour-coded to the day of the week or some other obscure system. Every office should have one of these guys, but one’s enough.