"Wake up and spill the coffee"

“Wake up and spill the coffee” is a saying that means that the listener should be awake to reality. “Wake up and spill the coffee” is a jocular version that has been printed on many images.

“Wake up and spill the coffee” was a New York magazine competition entry that was submitted by Mark Steinberg of Setauket, New York, and published on June 10, 1991.

5 June 1991, Tallahassee (FL) Democrat, “Names & Faces,” pg. 2A, col. 3:
NOT QUITE—New York magazine asked its readers for “near misses,” in titles, names, phases and the like. Some of the responses:
(...)
. Wake up and spill the coffee.

Google Books
10 June 1991, New York magazine, “New York Magazine Competition” by Mary Ann Madden, pg. 118, col. 2:
Wake up and spill the coffee.
Mark Steinberg, Setauket. N.Y.
(New York magazine is dated several days in advance, and this is obviously before the entry above.—ed.)

Google Books
Esquire: The Magazine for Men
Volume 117
1992
Pg. 118:
Wake up and spill the coffee!

Google Groups: alt.conspiracy
bungle.html
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
6/15/96
(...)
4. An immediate AMNESTY is offered to those self styled AUTHORITIES and MARKET FORCES (and attendant functionaries and propagandists) responsible for this epidemic of yo-yo economic terrorism, who immediately renounce the path of Trample Down Economics and WAKE UP AND SPILL THE COFFEE.

Google Groups: rec.photo.technique.misc
galapogos island trips
Doug Brewer
2/6/97
(...)
Wake up and spill the coffee.

Twitter
Dr Simon Cathcart
@drsimonc
delicious breakfast marred by cafetiere falling over on stove top - wake up and spill the coffee.
6:16 AM - 9 May 2009

Twitter
Einstein
@Die_Wahrheit
It’s time for house Democrats to wake up and spill the coffee.
5:09 PM - 15 Sep 2009

Inc.
19 Things to Tell Yourself If You Really Hate Motivational Sayings
Sick of tired of those motivational one-liners? Then this is just for you.
By Chris Matyszczyk
PUBLISHED ON: SEP 23, 2016
(...)
8. Wake up and spill the coffee.
This is so beautiful, so very human.

Twitter
Rasmia
@rasssmia
Time to wake up and spill the coffee
1:47 AM - 25 Jun 2018