ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tea leaf

idiom
Slang Cockney rhyming slang · East London
Meaning

thief


Examples
SIMPLE

Watch your wallet, there is a tea leaf around here.

CONTEXTUAL

The shopkeeper chased the tea leaf down the street after seeing him grab a bag of apples.

COMPLEX

Security guards apprehended the notorious tea leaf just as he attempted to exit the department store with stolen goods.

Anchors to
Related idioms1entry
  1. 01

    time thief

    Something or someone that consumes an inordinate amount of time, especially without achieving anything productive.

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