Who knows this?

[troupatour]

Hey, I have a question to you who know things...

Does something fit the definition to a 't', a 'tee', or a 'tea'?

And why?

Thanks.

Comments

[txreisende]

'T' I believe - as in, a T-square or other geometric measure of perfection. Just a guess, but I know I have never seen the other two options used, and can conjecture no plausible explanation for them.

[xkookykrysx]

I concur...

[desika]

I think it's "fit to a T."

I find some references relating it to the use of a T-square in construction. So, basically, it's a perfect right angle, a perfect fit to a T-square.

[vikingcoder]

To a TMeaning:
Exactly; properly. Often used in the phrase 'suits to a T'.

Origin:
'To a T', which is sometimes written 'to a tee', is an old phrase and is first recorded in James Wright's satire The Humours and conversations of the town, 1693
...
When there isn't a definitive origin and there are several proposed derivations, the wisest course is to list the possibilities and leave it at that. In this case, although there is no smoking gun, the 'to a tittle' derivation would probably stand up in court as 'beyond reasonable doubt'.

[azurelion]

This link also seems to (cautiously) support the "to a tittle" etymology as the most plausible. The "T-square" theory is probably wrong owing to the age of the expression. Nobody knows for sure.

But the expression is "to a T." I've seen it written (and probably written it) as "to a tee," I think because it looks less awkward in print. "Tea" is still a beverage.