Where did Spilling Tea come from ?

[SouthOfTheBorder]

 

[+ azdr0710]

Probably not a Deli-ish topic, but thanks for spilling the tea. 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

15 minutes ago, azdr0710 said:

Probably not a Deli-ish topic,

you’re right - should have been Lounge 

incidentally- “Spilling the tea” entered mainstream lexicon with book “Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil”  Lady Chablis 1994

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

She doesn't get it quite right.

It's not 'tea' as in the drink, but 'T' as in 'the truth.'  It's not always just about gossip.

Ultimately, it's drag idiom that eventually made its way into mainstream lexicon. 

Shows like Drag Race have cemented a lot of that, so now we get to hear Midwestern housewives sounding like pageant girls.

[SouthOfTheBorder]

14 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

but 'T' as in 'the truth.'  It's not always just about gossip

correct - not always about gossip, but mostly about gossip in current usage 

i just think it’s a funny Americanism - how do you like your tea ?

Edited May 31, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

2 minutes ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

how do you like your tea ?

Although loaded with sugar, I'm a fan of Hong Kong milk tea.

[SouthOfTheBorder]

3 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

Although loaded with sugar, I'm a fan of Hong Kong milk tea.

I like mine ethically sourced (most of the time) & piping hot ! 

[+ purplekow]

While I agree that the T is for truth it is just a play on words.  I prefer to think of it as coming from the British, though this is only my invention.  The gossip was hot and it was so hot that at afternoon tea, the scandalous nature caused the very proper lady to gasp and spill the tea.  

[SouthOfTheBorder]

and then - there’s SHADE !
 

 

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

On 5/31/2023 at 4:10 AM, SouthOfTheBorder said:

 

I thought the first instance of spilling tea was in Boston, by a group of Colonists dressed as American Indians in Boston Harbor