Do you native speakers use the phrase "something cold" when offering a beverage choice to a guest?

I’ve never heard someone say this, but I wouldn’t think twice about it if someone did

It’s not common in the sense that it’s a set phrase or a known expression but it’s not strange or awkward. It’s literally just a description of what you’re offering. “My jeans don’t fit anymore” isn’t common or uncommon but it’s the collection of words in the right order for what you’re trying to get across. Same thing. You could also say “tea, or maybe a lemonade/beer/ice water.” Or you could say “can I get you a cold drink? Or maybe tea or coffee?” No one would look at you funny or think anything of any of those.

Sounds totally natural.

This is 100% natural, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

You’d be more likely to say a cold drink, you might say soft drink but that often implies soda or pop.

no I think this is weird “tea, coffee, or something cold” sounds like an awkward euphemism for booze. I’d be like, it’s 11am (if it was) or “why, whatcha got” if it wasn’t

As many others have replied, I have never heard it and nobody has ever asked me that and I have never asked it of anyone. But the same can be said for **Ready the lavvu, it's time to migrate our reindeer to the wintering ground**. So I guess it depends what you mean by natural. These are perfectly natural and correct things to say if that's what happens or is customary in your neck of the woods. I have never really said anything beyond **Can I offer you something to drink**. Often the current weather, context and time of day and location make it obvious if a cold or hot beverage would be more appropriate, not always, but often. I had two colleagues and their partners over a while back. One of the partners liked to sip on a cup of hot water- think, cup of black tea without the tea- which I (secretly) found unusual. People have vast and varied personal preferences these days about their drinking habits and health so I feel the more general the offer the better. That's what is more natural for me, and why.

Uh, nobody has really said that to me, but if it was spoken to me it would not sound weird or foreign.

I would not bat an eye at someone asking that. All good.

I’ve used it as a response too. If a friend asked if I want something to drink I might say “something cold” Or on a hot day offering “you want something cold?” It might be regional, I don’t know.

Pretty common everywhere I've lived, heard it and used it a lot over my life.

“Something cold” is not as common as “a cold drink,” but it’s much more common than “something lymphatic.”

Yes that sounds normal to me

It sounds fine to me. A similar phrase that is somewhat common that has a different meaning is “a cold one”. If someone offers you a “cold one” they mean beer. As in “hey buddy, you ready for a cold one?” This means would you like a beer.

“What do you want?” “something cold.” is correct English. The thing is it’s about as common as any other response in that situation. Theres no set phrase just a set of logical words.

It’s not something I would say. I’d just ask, “Do you want something to drink?” No suggestions necessary.

In Australia on a hot day, a host will ask a guest if they'd like "something cold.". Unless, of course, the two are close friends. In that case, the polite phrase is "They're in the fridge mate. Grab me one while you're there.".

It would probably sound a little strange in American English since if someone offers tea, 9 times out of 10 it’s going to be sweet tea in a pitcher, so asking if they want something cold would be redundant, but it would make sense. Your statement would be pretty normal in most of the rest of the English speaking world, though.

Sounds normal to me. Offering a cold drink on a hot day is pretty common. Along those lines, I would add that specifically 'a cold one' is slang for a beer.

Not common where I live. We usually just list off the offerings we have save alcohol (in my house, it's tea, coffee, water, and pop regularly) unless the situation demands it (for example, wine if we're having some form of pasta dish, though we don't have any white wine in the house because we rarely make dishes that call for white wine).

Yeah, or “a cold one?” As an alternative

In a vacuum like this it strikes me as rather odd. I don't think id think anything of it irl in thr moment. I might find it annoying because tbh "something cold" could mean practically anything. tell me what you have specifically if youre offering me a drink.

As others have said it's correct but not a common turn of phrase. If someone speaking English as a second language asked me this I might assume they had misremembered the common phrase "a cold one" and were specifically offering beer.

I'd be more likely to say "Would you like a Coke or some juice?" to specify what cold drinks I have to offer. But I don't think your phrasing sounds unnatural at all.

Would sound totally natural to me. "Tea, coffee, or a cold drink?"

Sounds like a natural expression, but isn’t really something that’s said.

It doesn't sound unnatural, but it's also not a common phrase. In this context someone would usually say "Can I get you a cold drink?"

That doesn't sound unnatural whatsoever.

It sounds fine even if it isn't a common phrasing

I would say "Would you like a cold drink?" In the US, you can just say "Would you like something to drink?". If they want anything besides tea or coffee, it's expected to be cold.

I’d think it was a strange way to ask but it would be understood they’re offering a cold drink and not an ice cube or cold jar of mayonnaise from the fridge.

In the UK this would sound very normal

Yes sounds normal to me - in the UK , where the weather's always changing and it's a common scenario.

It sounds fine to me. You're just giving a few suggestions. I'm sure there are many regional variations as well.

I know you've had a lot of replies saying it's fine but they've never heard it. I grew up in the north of England and my parents would absolutely say "What do you fancy? Tea? Coffee? Something cold?". That would be very natural for me. The _something_ bit essentially signifies that the asker anticipated the guest wanting one of the previous drinks, but can _also_ offer a cold drink. If it was warm outside, it would be reversed "What do you fancy? Juice? Pop? Something hot?" (Although this is less common in my experience than something cold).

Yes it sounds natural. There are a huge number of variants you could go with here.

There is nothing wrong with the phrase "something cold"; the problem is that it is pretty vague. In a book, the character may say yes or no, but, in real life, I at least would ask for a list. What cold? Water? Soda? Juice? If juice, what kind of juice? Apple, orange, cranberry? Iced tea? The phrase feels more like a literary shorthand. A similar thing in movies is where a character walks into a bar and asks for "a beer"—which beer? A bar might have eight or ten. In the movie, a full glass would appear because which beer is not an important detail; in real life, the bartender would have to ask which one (or at least ask whether the "house beer" is fine). So overall, "something cold" sounds natural, but typically there would be a longer exchange after that.

I would understand but "anything cold?" would seem more spt or maybe "something cold, hot, mild?"if your trying to narrow down the catagory of desired beverage.

That's not something you really hear, but nobody would find it weird either

I wouldn’t say that, I’d offer a list and the recipient would know what’s hot and cold. Lemonade? Cold. Tea? Hot. Iced tea? Cold.

sometimes

Perfectly normal thing to say

I would interpret "something cold" as meaning a beer. That's the only way I'm familiar with itbeing used in Australia.

In the Deep South you’d hear, “Come on in, let me get you a cold drink” with the emphasis on *cold*.

It sounds normal but to me use of the word “cold” almost hints that you might be offering me a beer or something, if I were to be interested

people usually have many more varieties of cold drinks than hot, so rather than listing off every cold beverage, it's easier to knock out categories or list by categories like beer, wine, soft drinks, water, etc

Can I get you something cold to drink? Would most likely be said if it was a hot day outside.

As others have already said, "something cold *to drink*," would probably be the most natural way to phrase this. That being said, tea and coffee can both be served either hot or cold, so I personally find "tea, coffee, or something cold" sounds a bit odd, though it's obviously understandable and very dependent on both weather and culture. You say you've seen this in books; I would expect something more like "Can I get you something to drink? Something hot/cold, maybe?" (again, probably depending on weather.) Tangentially related: "A cold one," at least in American English, refers almost exclusively to a beer. So if you've seen/heard that anywhere, it's specifically referring to that.