no tea, no shade

English

Etymology

See throw shade and spill the tea.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adverb

no tea, no shade (not comparable)

1. (LGBTQ slang) Indicating that no offence is meant, that the speaker is merely making an observation.

   No tea no shade, I do not like your hair today.

   • 2012, Madison Moore, How to Be Beyonce:

     Even before LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett left the group, it always felt to me like DC was about Beyoncé, like Destiny's Child should just be called Beyoncé (and her chorus of rotating background singers), no tea no shade.

   • 2015, “Yoshe”, in Crazy in Love 2:

     “All right, all right!” he replied. “I will holler at her in the morning and give her a talking to. But if she comes for me, no tea, no shade, I will read her for filth, is that understood?”

Synonyms

• I'm not being funny (UK)