Have you ever noticed that when it comes to coffee, there are very few people who could take it or leave it? Most people either really love coffee or simply don't really care for it. There aren't many who only drink coffee when the mood hits (that isn't to say that there aren't any, only that the vast majority of coffee drinkers, drink coffee on a regular basis). In fact, many Americans can't seem to start their day until they've had their first cup or two of the warm brown liquid that seems to charge their mornings.

Coffee is becoming big business in America and around the world. Gone are the days when your coffee selection consisted of regular and decaf, now you need to study an entire new vocabulary in order to order a proper cup of coffee.

Here are a few terms that might come in handy the next time you are ordering a cup of coffee.

Breve, this is a cappuccino that is made with light cream.

Cappuccino is an espresso that is served with equal portions of steamed and foamed milk.

Doppio is a double shot of espresso while solo is a single shot.

Espresso is drink that is made by using pressurized steam and finely ground coffee beans. Incidentally, if you order a cup of coffee in Italy, you will get a cup of espresso. A double dry short is a double shot of espresso in a short cup that has no foam. Lattes are shots of espresso that have been mixed with a cup full of steamed mile and topped with a thin layer of foamed milk.

Mocha can be used in reference to coffee drinks that are blended with either chocolate, cocoa, or chocolate syrup; these drinks are often topped with whipped cream.

Mocha also refers to a specific type of coffee bean that is quite rare and has a unique acidity. This bean is typically shipped out of Mocha Yemen.

Ristretto is a very strong and concentrated espresso drink that is made by using half the required water with the same amount of coffee of a regular espresso drink. Ristretto offers a very intense coffee experience. A cup of American black coffee is generally a cup of medium roast Arabica coffee without milk, cream, or sugar.

This is meant to be a quick little run down of common coffee terms that you will find in today's coffee houses. While these terms don't cover every possible scenario that can be found in a coffee shop, you can combine these terms with your extensive command of the English language in order to figure out the rest. There are many terms that are generally self-explanatory such as caramel, chocolate, iced, frozen; the list could go on as there are seemingly endless possibilities of add ins and mix ins in a coffee shop.

Keep in mind that the most perfect cup of coffee in the entire world is the one in your hand at any given moment, provided of course, that the coffee belongs to you. There are many neat ways to enjoy this wonderful drink and each and every coffee lover has an absolute favorite, until they try something new and that becomes their absolute favorite. And then there are those, who have the same philosophy as Dennis Leary and would give anything for a good old-fashioned cup of coffee flavored coffee.