Spill the tea is a popular English idiom you can use to make your speaking livelier and more engaging. So what does spill the tea mean Where does it come from And how can you use it naturally in conversation and in the IELTS Speaking test Read on for clear explanations and practical examples from IDP.
1. What Does Spill the Tea Mean
Spill the tea means to reveal news share gossip or talk about juicy personal stories often private or surprising. This idiom is common in casual conversations among friends when someone wants the latest details about a celebrity a mutual friend or any interesting situation.
Examples:
Come on spill the tea What happened at the party last night
She loves to spill the tea about everyone in the office.
2. Origin of Spill the Tea
Spill the tea is believed to come from drag culture and the LGBTQ community in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. In that community tea also written as the letter T referred to truth or gossip.
Some people also link spill the tea to the older idiom spill the beans which means reveal a secret. While both express sharing information spill the tea sounds more modern and usually refers to personal or sensational gossip.
The idiom spread widely on social media platforms like Twitter TikTok and YouTube appeared in a Lipton tea commercial and has generated tens of millions of Google searches. It is also common on BuzzFeed and other pop culture sites.
3. When To Use Spill the Tea
Spill the tea is informal. Use it in friendly conversations not in academic writing or very formal situations.
Use cases and examples:
Asking someone to tell a story or reveal information So how was your date last night Spill the tea
Sharing interesting news or updates Are you ready for me to spill the tea on why Sarah and Tom broke up
As a noun meaning gossip or juicy info That is some good tea
4. Idioms and Phrases Similar to Spill the Tea
Idiom or Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
Spill the beans | Reveal a secret broader use not only gossip | Do not spill the beans about the surprise party |
Let the cat out of the bag | Accidentally reveal a secret | I let the cat out of the bag about her new job |
Dish the dirt | Share negative gossip about someone stronger negative tone | That tabloid loves to dish the dirt on celebrities |
Let something slip | Reveal something unintentionally | He let it slip that they were planning a surprise |
Give something away | Reveal a secret or emotion unintentionally | She tried to act calm but her hands gave her away |
5. Using Spill the Tea in IELTS Speaking
Although spill the tea is informal you can use it carefully to show natural and flexible language in IELTS Speaking. Keep the context appropriate.
Part 1 Interview Light personal topics only. Use sparingly and naturally. Q Do you like talking with your friends on the phone A Yes we often chat for ages and mostly spill the tea about what is going on in our lives.
Part 2 Long Turn Use it if the topic invites a personal story or a fun memory. Cue card Describe a memorable conversation you had with a friend Sample I met my best friend after months apart and we spent the afternoon spilling the tea about work and the latest celebrity news.
Part 3 Discussion Avoid or limit informal idioms because the tone is more academic.
6. Practice Exercises With Answers
Exercise 1 Fill in the blanks and change the verb form if needed
Come on ______ Did you get the scholarship
We were sitting in the cafe ______ about our classmates.
She accidentally ______ about the surprise birthday party.
Everyone was waiting for him to ______ about his job interview.
Last night she could not stop ______ about the drama in her class.
I do not want to ______ but there is something exciting coming soon.
Answers
spill the tea
spilling the tea
spilled the tea
spill the tea
spilling the tea
spill the tea
Exercise 2 Rewrite the sentences using spill the tea
She revealed all the secrets about the exam results. → She spilled the tea about the exam results.
They were gossiping about their coworkers during lunch. → They were spilling the tea about their coworkers during lunch.
He told me everything about his breakup. → He spilled the tea about his breakup.
My friend shared all the news about her new job. → My friend spilled the tea about her new job.
They revealed the truth about the teachers decision. → They spilled the tea about the teachers decision.
Level Up Your IELTS Speaking With Natural Idioms
Spill the tea is a fun idiom that can make your speaking sound natural and engaging. Use it in the right context and balance it with clear explanations. Regular practice and exposure to authentic English will help you use idioms confidently in IELTS.
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