I haven't followed the link yet, but as for point number 5 I don't think that "skinny" can be considered a hurtful term.

Don't like it? Get a new job.

Eh, they will probably change the name ala Large = Vente.

OK, the only complaint about this I can agree with is the comment that says "Skinny" was already in use and meant use skim milk.

But lawsuits? Really? Really?

Are you kidding me?! So by calling a drink skinny, that will offend any one who is not skinny. Give me a break. I find it funny that this person has a problem with this term, but it is ok to have the fancy terms for the sizes. I guess calling out you need a tall mocha will offend the short people too. Oh and wait until you need tall skinny mocha, I see the devastation now! Therapists will be so busy that they will open up a couch in the Starbucks. Whats next, changing the color of your shirt because it might offend someone? Really, we need to stop this.

Spare me! Ok I can understand the problems if a customer wants a 'skinny' but really doesn't want a skinny because "Wait a minute I want to make a few additions/changes" but this concern over a workers esteem over hearing the word skinny is just silly.

Heck who are the folks most likely to order one? Answer; usually, folks who are on a diet and aren't all that skinny themselves.

Hmmmm, sounds like this person might be a little obsessed with her own weight or body image. The term is referring to a drink, not a person. Is she really saying that the word 'Skinny' is not appropriate in any context because it makes her think about what she looks like?

Is she gonna complain about "WARNING: HOT" written on coffee cups because not everyone is hot?

Come on. It's just a marketing ploy, get over it. I hate it when people are so insecure.

Maybe it will be a "hint" that you should get into shape and yelling "skinny" all day might be a great motivator!

Hmm. Maybe if ordering a drink "Fatass" meant heavy cream, whipped cream, and sugary syrup, there would be reason to be offended. But skinny? Eh.

suck it up who ever you are

So, what's in a Rubinesque?

Yeah and I guess if you're self-conscious about your straight hair, you should lobby Arby's to stop selling CURLY fries.

What about Pizza Hut and their THIN-crust pizza?

I wouldn't ever use it. They have a hard enough time with "Vente Ice Coffee, no classic (syrup), light room".

More often than not, I get syrup. I can understand WHY they put it in (granulated sugar doesn't dissolve as quickly in iced drinks), but why make it the default?

Skinny as much the opposite of a food term like "loaded" as Grande is smaller than Venti but larger than Tall. They could have just used "light" but that wouldn't be trendy and pretentious like "skinny". And what if you just want to order a drink without passing along some cheer? What then?

I'm going to start ordering my coffee "fat ass": whole-fat whipped cream, whole-fat milk, 3 ounces of honey and Hershey bar melting in it.

Medium vanilla latte, 3 shots.

This doesn't seem to be a problem at Fatburger. They offer fat fries and skinny fries. ;-)

Also, can we drop the plural "baristas" on the headline when the article is about "at least one barista"?

The whole thing seemed very Chicken Little to me. From introducing the term "skinny" to a lawsuit?

I've heard the term skinny used in coffee shops since about the mid nineties. I think people get that it's part of the lingo. Also, I think that this speaks more to the barista him/herself than about anything else.

@belisle: There were comments from two other baristas agreeing with the one who wrote the letter.

God forbid we hurt the fatties' feelings.....

Perhaps he/she should be more concerned with his/her indeterminate gender?

Also what's this "partner" nonsense? Is that what Starbucks calls its employees (and what employees call themselves)? Because that's the stupidest shit I've ever heard.

Someone named Eric posted some of these replies to thier board. Too funny.

If I order my drink "fatass" do I get sugar, whipped cream and whole milk?

Honestly, I agree with her.

Skinny isn't exactly the worse word that you could use for it, but I don't see a problem with doing away with ridiculous and potentially hurtful terms when you could simply use 'light'. Starbucks orders are so complex as it is that even injecting a series of "none of this" "double that" aren't difficult.

I see 'skinny' as a taunt, as a jibe. Its not a word as much as its an insult, you don't use the word 'skinny' to describe someone unless you're commenting negatively about their body shape or weight. You'd use 'thin' to describe someone who is trim and well fit, you use 'skinny' to talk about someone who is frail, weak, or undernourished. And I think it has no place at the counter because it does (even if I don't agree that it 'should') have the potential to upset either your own staff or your customer.

Use 'light', it gets used for everything and is already in use at Starbucks, if it needs to be amended, then feel free to do so at the top of your lungs like they do at the Starbucks down the street.

That said, I'll be an extra block down, sipping on something from JJ-Beans, where they actually brew a good espresso and their barista doesn't say "What's that?" when I ask if she can pour a rosetta into the top of the foam for my girlfriend.

@belisle: Better yet, let's just drop the whole "barista" thing. Server? Cashier? Button pushing monkey?

Jesus. What an overreaction. Personally I welcome this, since saying "skim milk, no whip, with sugar free syrup" is a lot longer than saying "skinny". And, for the record, I'm definitely fat and apparently not a member of the Offenderati.

Wait, so if you order a drink with skim milk, they now yell "skinny?" (I haven't been to Starbucks in quite some time, please forgive my slowness.)

If that's the case, I can understand why the barista isn't happy. Why change things when saying "skim milk" is perfectly acceptable and makes more sense?

Or am I just smoking crack on this one? They really don't yell the word "skinny," do they? I'm making this up in my head, right?

@Rectilinear Propagation: Right you are. I don't normally make it to the comments in linked posts. That's asking a lot.

@KIRZEN2007:

For god's sake - it's just coffee. Calm down.

Ugh, just another overly PC thing. Smoothie King also has the option to order your item "Skinny". In fact, I think its a nice step rather than having to say "Suger free non-fat no whip". Way less the specify, especially if you send your significant other or coworker out to pick up drinks.

Just change the names to a lovable pop culture icon:

Skinny = Nicole Richie
Medium (or whatever they call it) = Oprah
Grande = Hulk Hogan
Family sized = Michael Moore

See no hurt feelings.

@LatherRinseRepeat: Yeah, but those terms mean specific things and there are only 2 ways to get fries.

The "body image" concerns are overreactions, but this is still a stupid move by Starbucks. There are so many possible permutations in drink order that adding yet another label (which is unnecessary because you can already order drinks this way) just makes the whole process murkier for everyone involved.

In that case, anytime I hear the words big, large, supersize, fat, or the like, I am going to sue, because these terms remind me that I am, well, FAT, and it hurts my self-image!

On another note, can we get Denny Crane in here to fire this barista?

@Erskine:

Its $4.50 for $.45 worth of ingredients.

Serious business! *grin*

Since Starbucks likes to use Italian terminology, like grande and venti, perhaps instead of "skinny", they could call it "magro"?

@fluiddruid: HERE HERE, fellow fatty! Horay!

If you are that sensitive about your weight/self image that saying "skinny" in reference to a drink order is enough to upset you, then maybe you ought to hit the gym.

The barista is over-reacting. I agree with @fluiddruid, it's way easier for those of us who don't want to drink our daily calorie intake to just say "skinny."

@ClayS:

Who you callin' a "Magro"?

@ClayS: No, magro means skinny. That would make too much sense, unlike tall, grande, and venti. Maybe libertà would work. I've always wanted to order a freedom latte.

@youbastid: I think they should be required to shout "fatass" whenever they make anything with lots of sugar and super heavy cream.

I'd totally order my macchiato "fatass" if I could. Just to stick it to the man.

Does this mean I'll offend someone next time I order my "Black Coffee"?

@sir_eccles:
Only if you feel the word 'Black' is an insult?

What is the non-offensive term for "Black Coffee"?

I ordered a nonfat, no whip mocha on Monday, and I got a cup of steaming robo-crap. I looked at the label on the cup and saw that it said skinny, looked it up online and found out about the new term. Which is not what I ordered, I happen to hate artificial sweeteners with a fiery passion. So I took it back to the Starbucks and told them what I ordered and that I accidentally got a skinny. The barista said, "That's what skinny means." I explained that I didn't order sugar free. So even the baristas don't know what the hell the term means, so I think they're asking for trouble trying to lump it all together. I got a new drink and a couple recovery cards out of it. And seriously, the drink tasted like awful.

And as somebody who is overweight, while I don't take offense to calling a drink skinny, I can understand how it wouldn't feel GREAT having it referred to constantly during your eight hour shift, people who are highly unhappy with their weight are extremely sensitive about anything remotely related to it. And when companies spend millions to research the exact right lighting and color palettes to use to get customers to spend more and employees be more productive, you'd think they'd take the subconscious effect of the word into account.

@KIRZEN2007:
Skinny is not an insult. In what world is that true? I get called skinny all the time. I'm not offended.

I'm offended by overweight people who try to blame everyone but themselves.

Offended by skinny? please...

As a frequent purchaser of a venti dark roast coffee I've apparently been ordering skinny for years!