What was "the T.L." in 1940?

[scottp]

Here's one more.
After Ray Noble has been trying out various lines of romantic poetry, Gracie says "Next time I see Shakespeare, I'm going to tell him about Ray Noble's talent."
George: "It just so happens he's dead."
Gracie: "Well so is Shakespeare!"
George: "That's a nice T.L. for Ray..."

[Brad from Georgia]

The American Speech article indicates that the T.L. term was used mostly by women, mostly in the Midwest and West. Interesting. There seems to be a developing shade of difference in the usage: originally a person would say, "I have a T.L. for you."

The person spoken to then had to tell the first person something complimentary about the first person that she had heard.

Then the original speaker would reciprocate by telling her friend some compliment that she had heard someone give the second person.

Hope that's clear.

Anyway, as it developed, it does indeed seem to become a "topper" instead of an exchange of compliments. In the last example (Ray Noble/Shakespeare) it doesn't seem to mean "compliment" at all, but rather something like "That's a nice turn of events for Ray."

[helloagain]

This is all very enlightening to me. I heard Bing Crosby use that term once on his radio show. I had never heard it before, but I took it to mean a bit of news or some confidential information. Crosby always used a special vocabulary anyway. I don't believe I've heard it anywhere else until now. Never too old to learn something new.

[scottp]

In a B&A show labeled 10-07-1938 (the only Chesterfield show on the disk I have) singer Frank Parker is expecting "Betty McDermott" to turn up at any moment (for a date,) but she sends Mary Kelly in her place. Mary tells Frank, "... she's paying me."
George says, "That's a nice T.L. for you, Frank."

[scottp]

On one of the first Hormel/Spam shows, announcer Bud Hiestand tells George he'd like to work with Gracie. George tells him all he has to do is ask her, "How's your brother?" Which will get her going for five years.
But also, "I'll give you a T.L.-- if you get into trouble, and there's a slight chance you will, just start humming 'Nola.'"

"Nola" is a tune you probably know... just not the title. I'm not sure if he said humming, whistling, or singing, but anyway, in this case the T.L. is a piece of advice. (It ended up serving as a bridge between jokes.)

The same show had "T.L." in two other places too.