--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Coffee could easily become lunch if one…" description: "\"“Coffee could easily become lunch if one was not careful, and lunch could so comfortably slip into afternoon tea.”\" — Alexander McCall Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/alexander-mccall-smith-372_afternoon-tea_coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one_188437.png" --- # Coffee could easily become lunch if one was not careful… ![“Coffee could easily become lunch if one was not careful, and lunch could so comfortably slip into afternoon tea.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/alexander-mccall-smith-372_afternoon-tea_coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one_188437.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/alexander-mccall-smith-372_afternoon-tea_coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one_188437.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/alexander-mccall-smith-372_afternoon-tea_coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one_188437.png) > ““Coffee could easily become lunch if one was not careful, and lunch could so comfortably slip into afternoon tea.”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that without mindfulness, small pleasures can unintentionally replace larger meals, leading to imbalance. **In simple terms:** Be aware that small indulgences can replace bigger meals. Key Takeaway Monitor portion sizes and schedule meals. Themes mindfulness balance diet habit selfcontrol Mood reflective cautious Type advice observational When to use this quote - daily meals - snacking - social gatherings Key Concepts portion control mindful eating time management Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep track of snack intake? - What signals tell you when a snack becomes a meal? A Different Perspective If you ignore the warning, you may overconsume or miss nutrients. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afternoon tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afternoon-tea/) [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) ## Related quotes > [My grandparents were far more English in their manners than they were Chinese. For example, we spoke English at home, had afternoon tea every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/my-grandparents-were-far-more-english-in-their-manners-than-they-were/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [Flying has changed how we imagine our planet, which we have seen whole from space, so that even the farthest nations are ecological neighbors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/flying-has-changed-how-we-imagine-our-planet-which-we-have-seen-whole/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [“Miss West is never idle. Below, in the big after-room, she does her own laundering. Nor will she let the steward touch her father's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/miss-west-is-never-idle-below-in-the-big-after-room-she-does-her-own/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Just as London is not one endless afternoon tea, L.A. isn't all super-fit, health food-crazy freaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suki-waterhouse/just-as-london-is-not-one-endless-afternoon-tea-l-a-isn-t-all-super/) [Suki Waterhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suki-waterhouse/) > [Everyone's saved, we're in the grave. See you there for afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jethro-tull/everyone-s-saved-we-re-in-the-grave-see-you-there-for-afternoon-tea/) [Jethro Tull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jethro-tull/) > [Jihad is becoming as American as apple pie and as British as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-al-awlaki/jihad-is-becoming-as-american-as-apple-pie-and-as-british-as/) Anwar al-Awlaki > [“At that moment, Bobbie Faye felt an unbridled hatred for every movie heroine who'd ever raced away from he villain in Jimmy Choo shoes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-mcgee-causey/at-that-moment-bobbie-faye-felt-an-unbridled-hatred-for-every-movie/) [Toni McGee Causey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-mcgee-causey/) > [Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/under-certain-circumstances-there-are-few-hours-in-life-more/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [ “Nowhere is the English genius of domesticity more notably evident than in the festival of afternoon tea. The \[...\] chink of cups and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nowhere-is-the-english-genius-of-domesticity-more-notably-evident/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Mrs. Jones had invited a great and well-known violinist to entertain at her afternoon tea. When it was all over, everyone crowded around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/mrs-jones-had-invited-a-great-and-well-known-violinist-to-entertain/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“You can serve high tea around the dining room table, but afternoon tea is more of a living room occasion, with everything brought in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-hynes/you-can-serve-high-tea-around-the-dining-room-table-but-afternoon-tea/) Angela Hynes > [I would give my back tooth - the one with the silver filling - to eat afternoon tea with my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-dent/i-would-give-my-back-tooth-the-one-with-the-silver-filling-to-eat/) [Grace Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-dent/) > [There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/there-are-few-hours-in-life-more-agreeable-than-the-hour-dedicated-to/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Someone's killed 100,000 people. We're almost going, "Well done! You killed 100,000 people? You must get up very early in the morning! I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/someone-s-killed-100-000-people-we-re-almost-going-well-done-you/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [Afternoon tea should be provided, fresh supplies, with thin bread-and-butter, fancy pastries, cakes, etc., being brought in as other guests arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-beeton/afternoon-tea-should-be-provided-fresh-supplies-with-thin-bread-and/) [Isabella Beeton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-beeton/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Afternoon tea quotes > [My grandparents were far more English in their manners than they were Chinese. For example, we spoke English at home, had afternoon tea every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/my-grandparents-were-far-more-english-in-their-manners-than-they-were/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [Someone's killed 100,000 people. We're almost going, "Well done! You killed 100,000 people? You must get up very early in the morning! I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/someone-s-killed-100-000-people-we-re-almost-going-well-done-you/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/there-are-few-hours-in-life-more-agreeable-than-the-hour-dedicated-to/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [I would give my back tooth - the one with the silver filling - to eat afternoon tea with my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-dent/i-would-give-my-back-tooth-the-one-with-the-silver-filling-to-eat/) [Grace Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-dent/) > [“You can serve high tea around the dining room table, but afternoon tea is more of a living room occasion, with everything brought in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-hynes/you-can-serve-high-tea-around-the-dining-room-table-but-afternoon-tea/) Angela Hynes > [“Mrs. Jones had invited a great and well-known violinist to entertain at her afternoon tea. When it was all over, everyone crowded around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/mrs-jones-had-invited-a-great-and-well-known-violinist-to-entertain/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [ “Nowhere is the English genius of domesticity more notably evident than in the festival of afternoon tea. The \[...\] chink of cups and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nowhere-is-the-english-genius-of-domesticity-more-notably-evident/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/under-certain-circumstances-there-are-few-hours-in-life-more/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“At that moment, Bobbie Faye felt an unbridled hatred for every movie heroine who'd ever raced away from he villain in Jimmy Choo shoes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-mcgee-causey/at-that-moment-bobbie-faye-felt-an-unbridled-hatred-for-every-movie/) [Toni McGee Causey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-mcgee-causey/) > [Jihad is becoming as American as apple pie and as British as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-al-awlaki/jihad-is-becoming-as-american-as-apple-pie-and-as-british-as/) Anwar al-Awlaki > [Everyone's saved, we're in the grave. See you there for afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jethro-tull/everyone-s-saved-we-re-in-the-grave-see-you-there-for-afternoon-tea/) [Jethro Tull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jethro-tull/) > [Just as London is not one endless afternoon tea, L.A. isn't all super-fit, health food-crazy freaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suki-waterhouse/just-as-london-is-not-one-endless-afternoon-tea-l-a-isn-t-all-super/) [Suki Waterhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suki-waterhouse/) > [“Miss West is never idle. Below, in the big after-room, she does her own laundering. Nor will she let the steward touch her father's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/miss-west-is-never-idle-below-in-the-big-after-room-she-does-her-own/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Flying has changed how we imagine our planet, which we have seen whole from space, so that even the farthest nations are ecological neighbors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/flying-has-changed-how-we-imagine-our-planet-which-we-have-seen-whole/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [Afternoon tea should be provided, fresh supplies, with thin bread-and-butter, fancy pastries, cakes, etc., being brought in as other guests arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-beeton/afternoon-tea-should-be-provided-fresh-supplies-with-thin-bread-and/) [Isabella Beeton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-beeton/) [Browse all 38 Afternoon tea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afternoon-tea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Coffee could easily become lunch if one was not careful, and lunch could so comfortably slip into afternoon tea.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander McCall Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one-was-not-careful-and-lunch/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afternoon tea" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one-was-not-careful-and-lunch/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/alexander-mccall-smith-372_afternoon-tea_coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one_188437.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/alexander-mccall-smith-372_afternoon-tea_coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one_188437.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/alexander-mccall-smith-372_afternoon-tea_coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one_188437.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Coffee could easily become lunch if one was not careful, and lunch could so comfortably slip into afternoon…” — Alexander McCall Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander McCall Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Coffee could easily become lunch if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one-was-not-careful-and-lunch/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one-was-not-careful-and-lunch/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```