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in den Tee tun

German, verb

in den Tee tun is a German verb meaning “Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see in, den, Tee, tun” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

What does in den Tee tun mean in English?

verb

  1. 1

    Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see in, den, Tee, tun.

    Hast du mir schon Zucker in den Tee getan?

  2. 2

    to slip something in someone’s drink (e.g. alcohol, drugs, poison)

    Er ist zu sehr passender Zeit gestorben. Wer weiß, was seine Frau ihm in den Tee getan hat!

  3. 3

    Hence used in rhetorical questions referring to someone’s unusual behaviour.

    Was haben sie dir denn in den Tee getan, dass du heute so fleißig bist?

Source: English Wiktionary, German section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).