# To the "t"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-t/126027>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 29, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-t/126027 "2002-08-29T01:40:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![codemaster3001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@codemaster3001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/codemaster3001)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-t/126027/1 "2002-08-29T01:40:58Z")

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I looked around and I couldn’t find anything about this. What does the phrase “to the T” mean? It is used like the word exactly if you do not know. ie. You painted that landscape right down to the T. Sorry if this has been asked before and thanks for any help.

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**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-t/126027/2 "2002-08-29T03:46:27Z")

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I’ve always heard it as suits you to **a** t.

maybe if you try searching that you’ll have better luck.

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**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-t/126027/3 "2002-08-29T03:51:38Z")

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Boy… I researched this about a year ago as part of an idioms dictionary I was co-authoring. There doesn’t seem to be any certain agreement as to the etymology of this idiom, but there are at least a few [theories](http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/13/messages/675.html) regarding the origin.

It seems to have been in use before 1607…