Word Story #9

To a T


Meaning
Exactly; properly, just right; Often used in the phrase 'suits to a T'.
Origin
'To a T', which is sometimes written 'to a tee', is an old phrase and is first recorded in James Wright's satire The Humours and conversations of the town, 1693:
"All the under Villages and Townsmen come to him for Redress; which he does to a T."
It is difficult to determine the origin of this phrase. It would be helpful to know the correct spelling; 'T' or 'tee'. John Jamieson, in the etymological dictionary Jamieson's Dictionary of the Scottish Language, 1867, records 'to a tee' as 'to a tittle'.
A tittle is a small stroke or point in writing or printing and is now best remembered via the term jot or tittle. The best reason for believing that this is the source of the 'T' is that the phrase 'to a tittle' existed in English more than a century before 'to a T', with the same meaning. For example, in Edward Hall's Chronicles, circa 1548, we find:
"I then... began to dispute with my self, little considering that thus my earnest was turned even to a tittle not so good as, estamen."
When there isn't a definitive origin and there are several proposed derivations, the wisest course is to list the possibilities and leave it at that. In this case, although there is no smoking gun, the 'to a tittle' derivation would probably stand up in court as 'beyond reasonable doubt'.

In Context: That dress suits you to a T!

Think About It: Can you think of a television commercial that uses the “To a T” phrase? Why would a company want to use this phrase to sell you something?