spill the tea

Originally from "T", standing for truth, which evolved into tea. Possibly as a blend with spill the beans.

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spill the tea (third-person singular simple present spills the tea, present participle spilling the tea, simple past and past participle spilled the tea or spilt the tea)

1. (informal) To disclose information, especially of a sensitive nature.
   • 2012 October, Demetria L. Lucas, “Should I Worry That He Earns Less Money?”, in CARE, number 18, page 18:

     They are up in your business because you invited them in by spilling the tea on what you and your man earn.

   • 2013, Stanley Bennett Clay, "A Fun Quick Read", DBQ Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 1, January/February 2013, page 9:

     […] she makes good on her promise to out her celebrity husband in the media by going on the top nationally syndicated radio talk show of Neicy Ross, an even more tacky version of Wendy Williams, and spills the tea on her man in delicious detail, […]

   • 2013, "The Ones To Watch", Brink Magazine, Issue 26, February/March 2013, page 17:

     Four different entrepreneurs and talents spill the tea on success, failure and lessons learned.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:spill the tea.

• spill the beans

• tea (“information, especially sensitive and/or juicy gossip”)