Is Spill the Tea Replacing Spill the Beans?

What does 'Spill the beans' mean? It tells someone else the deep dark juicy secrets that should never see the light of day. For generations in America, it has been used from airing dirty laundry to the deepest darkest secrets.

Where did the saying come from?

This is still a bit of a mystery. There are some theories that it originated in Ancient Greece due to the use of beans being used as counters in voting. There was a complex system to this, which you can read more about here. Supposedly, it made the elections quite hard to rig! Perhaps it's a thought for modern elections?

Bean Counters and the Dawning of Democracy

I have also come across another article on 'Spilling the beans' by R P Gibson's fellow medium writer. I loved his writing and had a few chuckles while reading it. Who knew that people other than me were interested in American Idioms? Feel free to look at his article on beans and their spillage.

Spill the Beans

When I think of beans, it's always been baked beans. I know that most likely, the saying is derived from other types of beans and is unlikely to be cooked in any way. This would go back to using beans as counters and voting. But, my poor little southern brain inserted baked beans, and that was it.

The facts:

The bullet points are below for those of you who couldn't be bothered to read the articles.

Beans were used historically in voting.

The first evidence of spilling the beans in America was in 1902/3 about horse racing.

There is evidence of use in the 16th century from England, but they only used the word, 'spill'.

I doubt I will ever use anything other than 'spill the beans' or Spill when I ask for gossip but let's move on to 'Spill the tea'. Shudders, that sounds so wrong. I have a list of reasons why.

• Who would ever willingly waste tea?
• What kind of monster would spill the tea? (ok, I put it twice, but it's needed. we need to protect both sweer iced tea and a lovely English cuppa!)
• It reminds me of the Boston Tea Party
• It has connotations of the tea party for me.
• It has connotations of tea bagging for me( I have no idea why it's just there living rent-free in my head.)
• I am a colossal wonderland fan, and wasting tea is once again abhorrent. Well, unless you're throwing it at someone's head. Then it is acceptable.

I couldn't even bring myself to find a photo of spilt tea. I want to cry when I spill my tea leaves at home. Can you tell I have a mild addiction to my cuppa? However, I was to be fair, even if I am biased and give as much information as possible about 'spill the tea' history.

First, I would like to say; this is a new phrase for me. I have only begun to hear it over the last year or so in books I have read by American authors. I wonder if it is regional? If anyone knows any more information, I would love to hear it!

Wiki has a page that says the original was T standing for truth but evolved into tea. There are several articles online about the phrase. It surprised me how many people were talking about tea. Below are a few links going into more detail on tea spillage.

The above has an interesting bit that says the author had read where people used to go to tea parties to hear gossip, and that is where the phrase arose. However, I do not have any sources on this.

Now the above article gave me a full new understanding of certain memes. Oh, how sly they were. I am obviously behind the times in my wit and sarcasm. I blame old age. There is a time when you are no longer on the pulse of things.

There are even boards discussing this new fangled turn of phrase.

To conclude:

Tea is the up and coming condenser for beans in the idioms of spilling secrets. However, I am an old fashioned girl and have to stay by my favourite and trusted oldie. I am too set in my ways to change it now, and the saying doesn't sit right with me.

Which saying do you use? Is it new for you, or has it been around for a while? I would love to hear from you!