Academic

LIFE AMONG the coffee nerds. But even nerds face inflation: In 18th-century London, the slang ph?

By Glenn Reynolds

LIFE AMONG the coffee nerds. But even nerds face inflation:

In 18th-century London, the slang phrase for withdrawal as a method of birth control was ?to make a coffee-house of a woman?s privities, to go in and out and spend nothing.? (This, according to a contemporary dictionary of vulgar slang.) All these years later, freeloading is still an issue. Zeigel says he sees students come into the Golden Roast with their own food and drinks, just to use the free Internet. Shaun Parrish says there?s a reason why Java no longer has free refills?they can?t afford to. Because while he doesn?t like to think of coffee as a commodity, it is one, and it?s one with skyrocketing prices.

Indeed. Plus this: “Still, Harb says he?d love it if more coffee drinkers in Knoxville appreciated the quality stuff, even if they?re not all buying the $25 per cup Kopi Luwak he sells. (Those are the Indonesian coffee beans that have been digested by civets for a supposedly mind-blowing, amazing brew. I did not try any.)”

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on December 21, 2010 (boomark / email).