Where Does Spilling the Tea Come from?
The Expression Appears to Have Originated in American Black Drag Culture: It Appears That T, Also Spelled Tea, Had a Double-Edged Meaning in Black Drag...
The expression appears to have originated in American black drag culture: It appears that T, also spelled tea, had a double-edged meaning in black drag culture. It could refer to a hidden truth, as Chablis uses it, and it could also refer to someone else's hidden truth—that is, gossip: Straight life must be so boring.
Who came up with spill the tea?
The phrase was popularized by the TV show RuPaul's Drag Race, and a similar use of T for truth appears in John Berendt's 1994 bestseller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
When did spill the tea originate?
According to Merriam-Webster, the phrase originated in drag culture, but had little to do with the actual drink. One of the first known uses of the phrase was in a nonfiction novel called “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” by John Berendt, published in 1994.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
