Adam@Home by Rob Harrell for December 17, 2011

  1. Mighty mouse
    pumpman19  almost 13 years ago

    Origin

    The slang term ‘qt’ is a shortened form of ‘quiet’. There’s no definitive source for the phrase ‘on the q.t.’, although it appears to be of 19th century British origin – not, as is often supposed, American. The longer phrase ‘on the quiet’ is also not especially old, but is first recorded somewhat before ‘on the qt’, in Otago: Goldfields & Resources, 1862:

    “Unless men can work [the gold] on ‘the quiet’, they are not likely to make ‘piles’ so rapidly as Messrs. Hartley and Riley.”

    That first record is from new Zealand, but is soon followed by citations from the United Kingdom and the USA.

    As to on the q.t., in The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, Robert Hendrickson states:

    “A British broadside ballad (1870) contained the line ‘Whatever I tell you is on the Q.T.’”

    It would be good to know the name of the ballad in order to follow up this assertion. Unfortunately, the author doesn’t give it, from which we can only suppose he didn’t know it himself. Without some supporting evidence that claim has to be in doubt.

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  2. Frankenaaron
    NE1956  almost 13 years ago

    Anyone mind if I slap Adam? Please?

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  3. Offsides2002609410321
    chairump Premium Member almost 13 years ago

    That’s not “in doubt” … that’s in D.T.!

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  4. D11s01ep00 wal 01 matt smith
    Doctor11  almost 13 years ago

    There’s WAY too many violent video games out there.

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  5. Missing large
    stevebergen  almost 13 years ago

    This story arc is awesome, Skyrim is the best game I have ever played. Who can resist fighting dragons, exploring caves, or watching aurora borealis in the night sky?

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  6. Cookie close
    Saucy1121 Premium Member almost 13 years ago

    I thought DL was disabled list.

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  7. Missing large
    Stephen Gilberg  almost 13 years ago

    Quentin Tarantino.

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