Chapter Taste to Teilo of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Teeth. Rigord, an historian of the thir teenth century, tells us that the number of human teeth was reduced when Chosroës the Persian carried away the true cross discovered by St. Helena. Before that time Christians were furnished with thirty and in some cases with thirty-two teeth, but since then no human being has had more than twenty-three teeth. (See Historiens de France, xviii.)

The normal number of teeth is thirty-two still. This “historic fact” is of a piece with that which ascribes to woman one rib more than to man (Gen. ii. 21, 22).

Teetotal. The origin of this word is ascribed to Richard (Dicky) Turner, who, in addressing a temperance meeting in September, 1833, reduplicated the word total to give it emphasis: “We not only want total abstinence, we want more, we want t-total abstinence.” The novelty and force of the expression took the meeting by storm.

It is not correct to ascribe the word to Mr. Swindlehurst of Preston, who is erroneously said to have stuttered.

N.B.—Both these statements are mere tales. The fact is this: The old temperance party used to place O. P. (Old Pledge) after their names; but the new party put T. (total) after their names.

Teian Muse (The), Anacreon, born at Teïos, in Ionia, and called by Ovid (Tristia, ii. 364) Teïa Musa (B.C. 563–478).

The Scian and the Teian Muse … [Simonidês and Anacreon]
Have found the fame your shores refuse.

Byron: Don Juan, iii. 86 (“The Isles of Greece,” 1820).

Probably Byron meant Simonidês of Ceos. Horace (2 Odes 1, 38) speaks of “Ceæ munera næniæ,” meaning Simonidês; but Scios or Scio properly means Chios, one of the seven places which laid claim to Homer. Both Ceos and Chios are isles of Greece.

Teilo (St.), a Welsh saint, who took an active part against the Pelagian heresy. When he died, three cities contended for his body, but happily the multiplication of the dead body into three put an end to the strife. Capgrave insists that the ipsissime body was at Llandaff.—English Martyrology.