There's a book that came out in 1970 called The Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places that was about gay men having sex in public restrooms, which were nicknamed "tearooms." One explanation for why that slang came about is that it's simply a reference to the fact that toilet begins with the letter T, which would make it a "tearoom." If Square Biz was the source of "tea" as slang for gossip, then maybe black gay men were making a similar pun with tea the drink vs. the letter T, which was similar to the use of the word "tearoom" among white gay men in the 1960s and 1970s. That may also explain why, when Lady Chablis uses the word, the word is spelled "T" and not as "tea."
@NickolasNameolas4 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for this info! Great stuff I wish I knew when I was working on the vid.
@jonsrecordcollection71722 ай бұрын
@@NickolasNameolas Another use of "tea" in gay circles that may predate 1970 is the record "Come To Me at Tea Time" by a female impersonator named Minette. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJ21gGuphq95gq8
@RatDimension4 ай бұрын
“This guy is also not regular” 😂😂😂😂
@joelman19894 ай бұрын
That part made me laugh out loud
@AprileB-t1t3 ай бұрын
Thanks for hipping us to tea! 😂
@joelman19894 ай бұрын
The sauce gauntlet took me out 😂
@Jib-Jab-4-life4 ай бұрын
You're actually so funny! I love your deadpan delivery. You've got much more than just solid research skills going for you!
@NickolasNameolas4 ай бұрын
Thanks so much, I try to put a little bit of everything I do in these.
@theroyalcrane4 ай бұрын
RIP Lady T
@cdntl4 ай бұрын
Just found your channel today (through an FD Signifier community post) and I gotta say, you don't miss. I've watched 8 of your videos in a row and it's all incredible content. Keep it up! There's no way that content this good won't be picked up by the algorithm soon.
@tigerlike74724 ай бұрын
Bobby Caldwell got us all...another excellent upload!! I'm late as hell, but just had a kid so I've been in pure Dad mode!
@NickolasNameolas4 ай бұрын
“Pure dad mode” also perfectly describes all the music I talk about in this video lol
@tigerlike74724 ай бұрын
@@NickolasNameolas that's how the kiddo got made to begin with 😅
@DejhaPayne4 ай бұрын
Making hot water cornbread as we speak!
@kaiserruhsam4 ай бұрын
THIS MAN IS ALSO NOT REGULAR 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@interrabang4 ай бұрын
The truth gets spilled
@BoosterGauche4 ай бұрын
"Efficiently celebrate" is a phrase I need to incorporate into my vocabulary.
@AT_ID4 ай бұрын
Your ability to research and get to the origin of things is astounding.
@NickolasNameolas4 ай бұрын
Thanks for saying so
@garlicfries854 ай бұрын
that's really cool hearing about the history of the term "tea" i really thought it had something to do a cup of hot tea 😅
@J.A.M.-xg7cy4 ай бұрын
This is the best pop culture history thing out here rn. Kudos sir. Keep it up!
@dangerxbadger23004 ай бұрын
I'm going to double comment to add that I grew up and came of age in my city's queer youth community and the first time I heard the word used in that way was probably in 2003, by my literal flaming redhead gay best friend. Good memories.
@darbies4 ай бұрын
this is the most interesting video i've seen in a while, so glad it showed up in my recommended. :D
@BrillianceProper4 ай бұрын
I honestly thought it was the Kermit/Muppets commercial so this blew my mind especially since I love "Square Biz." Great vid.
@Darkchild3932 ай бұрын
Ever think about MJ saying “you’re throwing shade” on Morphine back in 95 🤔
@Cleanmybass4 ай бұрын
I mean, perhaps we as a society need more gauntlets? What could go wrong?
@NickolasNameolas4 ай бұрын
Searching for dude’s sauce gauntlet made me realize there’s an entire subculture of people who believe this. I wish I possessed that bravery.
@Cleanmybass4 ай бұрын
@@NickolasNameolasSeems like a slippery slope, you get a gauntlet, why not a cape? And then a monocle. Where it would end, I do not know. But I guarantee the switch blade comb is involved.
@trioptimum90274 ай бұрын
@@Cleanmybass Look, why would you have a separate switchblade comb when you could build a retractable comb right into your gauntlet?
@joelman19894 ай бұрын
@@Cleanmybassthis thread confirms I’ve ended up on the right side of KZbin. The algorithm won
@haileybalmer97224 ай бұрын
I have so many thoughts. First of all, good video, I like it when you post! Second of all, my granny makes some hot water cornbread, and you're not wrong about it. The first time I heard anyone use tea, I asked her to elaborate, and she said "the tea? You know, the truth?" I always assumed that's what it meant, but I also didn't hear it until maybe 2006? I'm not surprised it's got a much longer history than that, but I am delighted to learn about it.
@beckhamjenkins47984 ай бұрын
6:26 I love guv’nor: “Catch a throatful From the fire vocaled Ash and molten glass like Eyjafjallajökull The volcano out of Iceland”
@companydrew4 ай бұрын
sauce gauntlet 🤣
@BeastNationXIV4 ай бұрын
Naaah, you can't do a video like this and start out with Square Biz! Let's go! 😊😊😊
@dangerxbadger23004 ай бұрын
So much of our American history especially as it relates to black and brown culture is definitely a bummer! Glad to see you doing something lighter and more fun for a change while still keeping it mad interesting! You can really feel the difference in your energy. Your haircut looks nice, and as far as you centering a straight white lady, fuck it. Just lean into it like Hasan does and solidify your status as a queer Community Foe(for anyone thinking I'm serious this is satire as is Hasans bit about being a foe). 😂
@selalewis91894 ай бұрын
Three things: 1. Amazing research as always. So glad I joined your Patreon. 2. Jojo once gave me a compliment on my tights. She can come to the cookout. She deserves a plate just for enduring her music deal with Barry Hankerson. 3. The Manhattan Transfer are extremely white. They made Take 6 look like Jodeci.
@NickolasNameolas4 ай бұрын
When I actually saw them I was shocked, I think it’s the “Mystery” Anita Baker connection
@hollagonzalez79542 ай бұрын
Brilliant track
@MagickP00dle3 ай бұрын
I didn't know Bobby Caldwell wasn't black until he died and all the RIP articles started dropping. I'm glad I'm not the only one that was late to it.
@reyperry26054 ай бұрын
Eh. Even if you're wrong, you put the spotlight on Teena Marie so dass cool (This is pretty much just for the algorithm)
@louimmature3 ай бұрын
i have that EXACT same shirt
@J.A.M.-xg7cy4 ай бұрын
I think your breakdown of “T” is feasible. Personally, I always thought it was rooted in the gossip shared amongst women in the tea parlors e.g. of yesteryear
@AlwaysAmTired4 ай бұрын
Interesting stuff
@RblastonYT4 ай бұрын
Damn I love this silly video man
@lazyfish76754 ай бұрын
I'm subbed and have the bell yet this is the first video in 3 months I actually got notified of
@NickolasNameolas4 ай бұрын
Damn, I don’t get the impression I’m any algorithm’s favorite so I appreciate the comment
@lazyfish76754 ай бұрын
@@NickolasNameolas you should be, in my opinion you're far underrated. I found you off a lil bill video and have appreciated your insight since
@funkstienn10022 ай бұрын
I thought it was something to do with the saying spill the tea well I guess I was mistaken or maybe not I don't know it could be a connection somewhere
@smelly10602 ай бұрын
This sorta reminds me of 'stan' but inverse. Em made the song, but people seem to gloss over Nas using it in Ether to describe Jay in the exact way we use it now, which tells me one of 2 things, either after em made the tune the term was uses on the streets colloquially as a way to refer to a meat rider oooor, it was already used like that and like Teana Em made the tune as a reference to this.