Tea

Definition:

Juicy gossip, drama, or insider information that's meant to be shared in confidence or revealed dramatically for effect

Context:

The term "tea" is theorized to have emerged from the shorthand of "T" for "Truth" as early as the 1990s. The phrase gained widespread popularity during the mid-2010s through social media & meme culture (particularly with the rise of reaction images featuring people sipping beverages while making observations). While no longer as overused, "Tea" has cemented itself in modern lingo as a playful way to refer to interesting or dramatic info being shared between friends or on social media, eclipsing the word gossip almost entirely.

Common phrases:

"Spill the tea" - Request or offer to share exciting news or gossip
"That's the tea" - Confirming something as truth or concluding a story
"Weak tea" - Referring to uninteresting or unconvincing information
"Hot tea" - Particularly juicy or scandalous information
"Give us the tea" - Asking someone to share details about a situation
"Sipping tea" - Observing drama or gossip without getting involved
"Fresh tea" - New or previously unknown information
"Tea time" - A moment dedicated to sharing gossip or updates
"Today's tea" - An ASCII art phrasal template used to express a hot take

Example:

^{(all names & events in the
following scenario have been made
up)}

Rachet: “I just witnessed the most bizarre thing on my way home...”

Zak: “Spill the tea sis!”

Rachet: “This guy proposed to his girlfriend with a chicken nugget... and she said YES!”

Zak: “Honestly - goals.”