# Suits you sir

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suits-you-sir/41145>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 14, 2000, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suits-you-sir/41145 "2000-11-14T13:13:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Moonshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Moonshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonshine)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suits-you-sir/41145/1 "2000-11-14T13:13:34Z")

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‘That suits you to a tee.’ What tee? T? Tea? I’ve never known what the ‘T’ refers to in this phrase, if anything,and a search of the archives has brought no enlightenment. anybody out there have an idea?

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**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suits-you-sir/41145/3 "2000-11-14T13:46:51Z")

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From [The Mavens’ Word of the Day](http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19980629):

> [@](#):
>
> The expression to a T, which means ‘exactly; perfectly; to perfection’, is centuries older, first recorded in the late seventeenth century. It is a shortening of the older (early seventeenth century) expression to a tittle, where a tittle is ‘a dot or other small mark in printing or writing’ (as, for example the dot over the letter i: note well, you seekers after words for obscure things).

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**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suits-you-sir/41145/4 "2000-11-14T14:03:17Z")

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“Does she like it sir… does she ?”  
I understand Madonna is bringing Ali G over to the US for the MTV awards soon… **that** should be interesting

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**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suits-you-sir/41145/5 "2000-11-14T15:25:26Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Moonshine \*  
> \*\*‘That suits you to a tee.’ What tee? T? Tea? I’ve never known what the ‘T’ refers to in this phrase, if anything,and a search of the archives has brought no enlightenment. anybody out there have an idea? \*\*

My apologies, but all I can think of when I hear that expression is Sam Kinnison doing his “Lick the alphabet” routine:

“I’m Mr. T. I pity the fool who gives more T than me!”

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**Author:** ![Moonshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Moonshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonshine)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suits-you-sir/41145/6 "2000-11-14T15:34:30Z")

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Suits you to a tittle, I can’t wait to slip this one into conversation. tx

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**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suits-you-sir/41145/7 "2000-11-14T19:33:36Z")

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Does she look over her shoulder with her eyes wide open like a startled deer while you’re giving to her from behind sir ?  
Does she, does she…ooooh I bet she does, oooh suits you sir