See to a T on Wiktionary
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"etymology_text": "The origins of this phrase are uncertain, but it has been observed in print since at least 1693, and likely was around well before that. The possibly related phrase to a tittle is found in a 1607 play, The Woman Hater by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (\"I'll quote him to a tittle\"). The T in the phrase to a T is likely the first letter of a word, with tittle being the most likely source.\n* Other theories with little evidence point to golf tees, for their small size; this may have at least influenced the alternative form to a tee. Some speculate a relationship with T-square, a measuring device introduced around the turn of the century. Others claim the expression refers to the correct completion of the letter t by crossing it.\n*In print from \"Two Years Before the Mast\" published in 1840, and, even then, using quotes, refers to the practice of squaring up a yardarm with a mast on a sailing ship such that it made a perpendicular T.",
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"text": "I hope your Honour will be soon well enough to get down to your country-seat, where,—as your Honour takes so much pleasure in fortification, we could manage this matter to a T.",
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"text": "My ſpurrit to a T—My dear child!",
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"ref": "1868, Ann Sophia Stephens, Doubly False:",
"text": "That accounts for my having the dress, but it don't account for the piece that you left sticking to the rose-bush under Mrs. Lander's bed-room winder, which piece I took off that morning, and which piece I matched with the dress after you pitched it at me over them bannisters; it was an awful scragly tear, and it fitted to a T.",
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"ref": "1964, \"On the Trail of the Amazing Spider-Man!\" (page 7), Tales to Astonish #57, Marvel Comics",
"text": "You've sure got everything figured out to a \"T\", boss!"
},
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"ref": "1979, “Rapper’s Delight”, performed by Sugarhill Gang:",
"text": "You see I'm six foot one and I'm tons of fun and I dress to a tee",
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"word": "down to a T"
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"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "bùzhébùkòu",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "不折不扣"
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"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "qiàqiàhǎo",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "恰恰好"
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"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "絲毫不差"
},
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"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "sīháobùchà",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "丝毫不差"
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"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "do puntíku"
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"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "tismalleen"
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{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "pilkulleen"
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"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "à la perfection"
},
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"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "à merveille"
},
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"lang": "German",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "auf den Punkt gebracht"
},
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"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "go cruinn beacht"
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"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "co do joty"
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"roman": "v soveršénstve",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "в соверше́нстве"
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"roman": "komar nosa ne podtočit",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"tags": [
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"word": "комар носа не подточит"
},
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"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "på pricken"
},
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"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "till punkt och pricka"
},
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"code": "cy",
"lang": "Welsh",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "i'r dim"
}
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"text": "My ſpurrit to a T—My dear child!",
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},
{
"ref": "1868, Ann Sophia Stephens, Doubly False:",
"text": "That accounts for my having the dress, but it don't account for the piece that you left sticking to the rose-bush under Mrs. Lander's bed-room winder, which piece I took off that morning, and which piece I matched with the dress after you pitched it at me over them bannisters; it was an awful scragly tear, and it fitted to a T.",
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"ref": "1964, \"On the Trail of the Amazing Spider-Man!\" (page 7), Tales to Astonish #57, Marvel Comics",
"text": "You've sure got everything figured out to a \"T\", boss!"
},
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"word": "down to a T"
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"translations": [
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"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "bùzhébùkòu",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "不折不扣"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "qiàqiàhǎo",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "恰恰好"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "絲毫不差"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "sīháobùchà",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "丝毫不差"
},
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"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "do puntíku"
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"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "tismalleen"
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{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "pilkulleen"
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"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "à la perfection"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "à merveille"
},
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"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "auf den Punkt gebracht"
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"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "go cruinn beacht"
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"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "co do joty"
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"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "v soveršénstve",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "в соверше́нстве"
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"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "komar nosa ne podtočit",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"tags": [
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"word": "комар носа не подточит"
},
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"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "på pricken"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "till punkt och pricka"
},
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"code": "cy",
"lang": "Welsh",
"sense": "precisely; exactly",
"word": "i'r dim"
}
],
"word": "to a T"
}
Download raw JSONL data for to a T meaning in All languages combined (6.1kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
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