smell the coffee

English

Verb

smell the coffee (third-person singular simple present smells the coffee, present participle smelling the coffee, simple past and past participle smelled the coffee)

1. To wake up and smell the coffee.
   • 1991 December 15, Jacob Smith Yang, quoting Sue Hyde, “Anti-ROTC Or Anti-Military?”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 22, page 6:

     The gay and lesbian movement has been white and middle class, and it is very meaningful for working class gay and gay people of color that our movement has finally smelled the coffee on this and it is taking up in a major way.