E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
That’s the Ticket.
That’s the right thing to do; generally supposed to be a corruption of “That’s the etiquette,” or proper mode of procedure, according to the programme; but the expanded phrase “That’s the ticket for soup” seems to allude to the custom of showing a ticket in order to obtain a basin of soup given in charity.
