1885. D. Tel., 30 Sep. The 'échauffourée' in 'Southern Bulgaria' will prove a mere storm in a teacup.
Tea-fight, subs. phr. (common).—A
tea party: cf. muffin-worry;
toffee-scramble, etc.
1885. North Am. Rev., cxli. 242. Gossip prevails at tea fights in a back country village.
1899. Whiteing, John Street, vi. 'Kind of a tea-fight,' he returns. . . . I looked to Tilda . . . 'Come to tea next Sunday,' says the girl.
Tea Party. See Boston Tea-party
and Nice.
Teague, subs. (old).—An Irishman:
in contempt. Hence
Teagueland = Ireland (B. E.
and Grose).
1661. Merry Drollery [Ebsworth], 335. Teg [stands for an Irishman].
1671. Bagf. Ballads. With Shinkin ap Morgan, with blew Cap or Teague.
1672. Ray, Proverbs. Like Teague's cocks, that fought one another, though all were of the same kind.
c. 1686-8. Old Song, 'Lilibulero.' Ho, brother Teague.
d. 1704. Brown, Works, iv. 275. Excuse me from Teagueland and slaughter.
d. 1706. Dorset, Antiquated Coquet. To Teaguland we this beauty owe, Teagueland her earliest charms did know . . . The Teagues in shoals before her fell.
1706. Ward, Wooden World, 70. He shall gulph ye down the rankest Stinkibus with as good a gusto as a Teague does Usquebaugh.
1733. Swift, To Grant [Scott, Swift, xviii. 203]. I was a year old before I was sent to England; and thus I am a Teague, or an Irishman.
Teaich-gir, adj. and adv. (back
slang).—'Right': pronounced
'tadger.' Hence tadging = tiptop
(q.v.).
Team, subs. (colloquial).—Two or
more persons associated for some
purpose: e.g., a football side, a
cricket eleven, a coach's pupils,
etc. [Properly of animals harnessed
together.] Hence team-*work
= work in company.
1622. Massinger, Virgin Martyr, iv. Hear me, my little team of villains, hear me.
1852. Bristed, Eng. Univ., 191. A mathematical tutor can drive a much larger team than a classical.
1885. Echo, 7 Sep. The football season in the North and Midlands is in full swing, and it is therefore little matter for wonder that the country teams bear away the laurels every year from the metropolis.
Tear, subs. (common).—A boisterous
jollification; a spree (q.v.).
As verb. (colloquial) = to move,
speak, or act violently; to rant;
to fume. Hence tearer or
tear cat or Timothy Tearcat
= (1) a blusterer; a bully; a
roarer (q.v.); and (2) anything
violent. Tearing = violent,
raving, etc.; tear-mouth (or
tear-throat) = a ranting actor:
and a adj. = vociferous; to
tear Christ's body (old colloquial)
= to blaspheme. To tear
one's beard (or hair) = a simile
of violent emotion.
1383. Chaucer, Cant. Tales, 13,889. His oathes been so great and so damp-*nable, That it is grisly for to hiere him swere Our blisful Lorde's body thay to tere.
1563. Foxe, Acts and Monuments, viii. 641. [He speaks of swearers as] tearers of god.
1592. Shakspeare, Mid. Night's Dream, i. 2. I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in. Ibid. (1610), Antony and Cleop., iv. 12. In the midst a tearing groan.
1601. Jonson, Poetaster, iii. 1. You grow rich, you do, and purchase, you twopenny tear-mouth.
