a cup of cold

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a cup of cold" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to describe a cup containing something cold, but it lacks specificity and clarity. Example: "I would like a cup of cold water, please."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Lifestyle

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

44 human-written examples

1. Set aside a cup of cold water.

The New York Times

Dissolve the turmeric in a cup of cold water and stir.

The New York Times

Rabih cannot understand why this goes down like a cup of cold sick with Kirsten.

The Guardian - Books

"It went down like a cup of cold sick," said one ITV News executive.

The Guardian

These went down like a cup of cold sick with the audience.

The Guardian - Opinion

Dilute the egg mixture with a cup of cold stock, blend in well.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

16 human-written examples

Have a cup of ice cold water to help wake you up.

WikiHow

Hawkey's The Ipcress File jacket, in stark black and white, showed a chipped cup of cold tea, a Smith and Wesson revolver, bullets and a cigarette stubbed out in a saucer.

The Guardian - Books

Pour half a can of dark beer and a ½ cup of cold water into the dry mixture.

WikiHow

But in order to build up those low pressures I'm going to have to really know the truth.' " Fuller broke off again, and poured himself a last cup of cold tea.

The New Yorker

The above reasons throw a sobering cup of cold water in the faces of those who think that desktop servers and software are going away in the near future.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a cold beverage, ensure clarity by phrasing it as "a cup of cold [drink/beverage]" or using more descriptive adjectives like "iced" or "chilled".

Common error

Avoid directly modifying "cup" with "cold" as it implies the cup itself is cold, not necessarily its contents. Instead, focus on the contents being cold: "a cup of cold water" instead of ""a cup of cold".

Linguistic Context

The phrase functions as a noun phrase that intends to describe a container holding a cold substance. While common, Ludwig AI points out it's grammatically imprecise without specifying the substance, leading to potential ambiguity. Examples often clarify with "water", "coffee", etc.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

34%

Wiki

25%

Lifestyle

10%

Less common in

Science

9%

Formal & Business

8%

Reference

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a cup of cold" attempts to describe a beverage served cold. However, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically questionable without specifying the contents of the cup (e.g., "a cup of cold water"). While commonly used in News & Media and Wiki contexts, it's essential to clarify the beverage for grammatical correctness. Alternatives like "a cup of "chilled"" or "a cup of "iced"" offer more precise descriptions. For clarity, always specify the cold substance in the cup.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a cold cup of

Reorders the words to make a grammatically sound phrase while focusing on a cup that is cold.

a cup of chilled

Replaces "cold" with "chilled" to describe a cup that contains a chilled beverage.

a cup of iced

Similar to chilled but emphasizes the presence of ice in the beverage.

a cup of ice-cold

Emphasizes the extreme coldness of the drink.

a cup of refreshing

Focuses on the effect of the drink, implying it's cold and invigorating.

a cup of cool

Uses "cool" as a less intense version of "cold" when describing the drink.

a cold beverage in a cup

Explains the situation using a more descriptive phrase rather than an adjective modifying "cup".

a cool drink in a glass

Expands on the concept to include similar containers like glasses.

a beverage at a low temperature

Describes the temperature of the beverage more scientifically.

an unheated drink

Indicates the absence of heat rather than the presence of cold, implying a similar state.

FAQs

How can I correctly use the phrase "a cup of cold" in a sentence?

To use the phrase correctly, specify what's cold. For example, say "a cup of cold water" or "a cup of cold coffee" instead of just "a cup of cold".

What's a better way to say "a cup of cold" to describe a chilled drink?

Consider using phrases like "a cup of "chilled"" or "a cup of "iced"" to more accurately describe the beverage's temperature.

Is it grammatically correct to say "a cup of cold"?

According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "a cup of cold" is not grammatically correct. It's better to specify the liquid in the cup, such as "a cup of cold tea".

What are some alternatives to "a cup of cold" that sound more natural?

More natural-sounding alternatives include "a cold cup of" something (like tea or water), "a cup of "iced"" something, or "a cup of "chilled"" something.