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Tea leaf

Tea leaf

Meaning

Cockney rhyming slang for thief.

Examples

Just be careful to keep your purse safe when you go down to the market – there are plenty of tea leaves ready to steal it.

Where did it originate?

Britain.

Where is it used?

Mostly Britain.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Tea leaf

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