Supposedly it's from a method of voting in ancient Greece so no, not coffee beans as they didn't have coffee till the Turks invaded in the 1400s a few thousand years later.
Thanks for clarifying that. I was just taking a stab at it because tea has always been a more British thing to me being an uncultured American. Never did develop a taste for tea or coffee -- which is certainly a disadvantage in the US military, LOL.
Wrong historical context, but I see how you'd arrive there. Spilling tea comes from women in the antebellum south meeting for tea socials at which they'd exchange hot gossip. Kinda low stakes melodrama there, but it's fitting, isn't it? 👀
Never heard that one, and I have lived in the South. It does remind me of the origin of the word 'scuttlebutt', 'butt' being a cask of water sailors would gather around and share gossip.
In the U.S. it’s still “spill the beans,” for Boomers and older. You’d have to ask someone younger what they say, but given how addicted they are to Starbucks, I doubt it’s “spill the tea.”
Maybe in the South?
I get it, but not funny. But while we're on the subject, just because I was born British doesn't mean every present you give me needs to be breakfast tea. I'm just going to throw it away. (It's the *lack of* thought that counts.)
It’s an expression that describes what happens when ladies drop a juicy scandal with their girlfriends. It’s so shocking, they spill the tea in their cups.
Does that make sense?
In Australia there is a joke about women's nether regions when she wears very tight jeans, guy's call them V dove bonnet's because they say that's what it looks like.
So 3 years or so ago we found out about my grandmother’s secret family. My mom and her newly discovered niece have become friends. They went to Memphis together recently and had a great time.
But it still doesn’t really make sense. Why would she be interested and what relevance does the fact she on the plane have. (Fair enough I have a migraine today so brain is out of gear)🤪!
I'm a native speaker. This is not a standard English expression. Seems to be recent, 1990s, American, possibly originating in the gay community. I've never heard it before. I have heard and used "spill the beans", most likely from watching American TV and movies, but I'm not sure of its origins.
US Englisher here and I've never heard "spill the tea" to mean that before. Whereas "spill the beans" I hear all the time. If I had been forced to guess, I would have thought "spill the tea" was UK English, although I also talk to a lot of UK people and I haven't heard them say "spill the tea"...
However, spilling alcohol will get you cries of ‘pour oot’. At worst you will be reminded of this travesty at every opportunity. At best you will have to bribe everyone with a new round of drinks and hope they drink enough to forget your indiscretion.
Most of the time i when to the bush to cut some branches trees to sell them and make little found from it to buy food for my siblings
I’m greatfully here to look for someone who just take part of helping me to buy for my family
I'm living with my family here the hardship of being orphan,
I'm 23years old living with my grandma,Mum and my 2 siblings in one room Born from inocent family
I lost my father at the age of 13 years.on his journey to visit relatives in Banjul and he died in a car accident.
a couple of hours later I now understand it's not a reference to spilling tea. just using the word "tea" as a slang term for "gossip". I wasn't aware that was a thing - now wondering if I'm in the minority or the majority?
she asked for the T/truth/dish best served cold? too far leo too far. I almost didn't get it and then when i red your headline i was like oh it made sense cause she asked for the tea and not the Continental American brew. Not that the english are nosy, so i thought.. Tea...
“Spill the beans” was pretty much the standard in the US as well for most of my Boomer Era life, but “tea” has become more popular than “beans” for many people in recent years.
Must be, as a tea drinker who's very fussy about how my tea is made, this went zooming over my head. I've heard 'spill the goods' & 'spill the beans'...
Also what does being gay or not gay have to do with the joke?
Could it be that the joke just isn't funny?
In the comments many Brits are saying they've never heard the reference of tea being slang for gossip.
And I don't know why I'm obsessing over this dumb little joke. 🤪 Ima dork 🤣
☮️💟
Spilling tea is slang for gossiping. It didn't precisely start with the gay community, but we use that and the simpler variation "tea" heavily these days, at least in the U.S.
It makes sense British people are confused though. The term originated in the American South.
So, flight attendant is basically asking the lady if she wants to hear gossip.
By way of slang.
Passenger says yes by slang.
Attendant tells personal information of the captain.
The passenger doesn't know any of these people.
How's this gossip?
How is this funny?
Ask myself why do I care LOL
😁🤪
My daughter's in highschool and she and her friends say it all the time. She'll get in the car after school and say "I've got tea!!" To which I say "YAY! spill it"
Comments
I'd never heard it either, and I'm neither gay or a pilots wife.
Boston had a big party as one that lives in Boston does. 😜
😢🤔
I guess I got to read more comments to figure out what the hell it means
Spilling tea is wasting a good beverage and frankly criminal !!
Maybe in the South?
But more seriously, I agree it’s probably not common parlance these days ….
Does that make sense?
Now, if coffee okay spill the beans but tea?
Well, thanks Bluesky for comments, the more we know.
Spill the tea = give me the true story (gossip)
Because - tea.
Learn something new every day
I have seen many videos of people explaining Brit sayings to Americans or visa versa.
Like Bonnet vs Hood for cars or bathroom vs water closet.
So my mind thought maybe referred to ladies having tea parties serving tart gossip & scones.
Mostly younger people will ask, “what’s the tea?” -new gossip
To "spill the tea" means to discuss gossip.
The woman asked for tea, so ...
Cheers!
Probably time for my nap 💤
Things a non-native speaker doesn’t know :-)
Spilling the tea in the UK is a capital offence.
However, spilling alcohol will get you cries of ‘pour oot’. At worst you will be reminded of this travesty at every opportunity. At best you will have to bribe everyone with a new round of drinks and hope they drink enough to forget your indiscretion.
Come on buddy, spill the tea, what you hear?
I’ll follow you for more insights ;-)
— Abraham Lincoln
Most of the time i when to the bush to cut some branches trees to sell them and make little found from it to buy food for my siblings
I’m greatfully here to look for someone who just take part of helping me to buy for my family
The Dead of my father became distrustion to my life .education problem.lack of survival for food at Home become difficult to me and my family
I'm 23years old living with my grandma,Mum and my 2 siblings in one room Born from inocent family
I lost my father at the age of 13 years.on his journey to visit relatives in Banjul and he died in a car accident.
We usually say “spill the beans”.🇬🇧
Could it be that the joke just isn't funny?
In the comments many Brits are saying they've never heard the reference of tea being slang for gossip.
And I don't know why I'm obsessing over this dumb little joke. 🤪 Ima dork 🤣
☮️💟
It makes sense British people are confused though. The term originated in the American South.
By way of slang.
Passenger says yes by slang.
Attendant tells personal information of the captain.
The passenger doesn't know any of these people.
How's this gossip?
How is this funny?
Ask myself why do I care LOL
😁🤪
Slang for tea is gossip. Or slang for gossip is tea?
Well maybe for you, for some it's called....
Scuttlebutt.
Thought she was talking to the captain's wife accidentally.
I guess not as every comments
🌊🇺🇸🇺🇦🌈🟧🏞️💙
Which, I guess tea does make more sense…