English Reference
Idiom idiom

tea leaf

Slang Cockney rhyming slang · East London

thief


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.


Related idioms2entries
  1. 01

    thick as thieves

    Intimate, close-knit, tight.

  2. 02

    time thief

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

Last updated June 7, 2026