TLC (Taxi & Limousine Commission; Tender, Loving Care)

The "TLC" is the "Taxi and Limousine Commission." The TLC may give you "tender, loving care," or it may not.

"TLC=tender, loving care" is a military acronym that was used during World War II. "TLC" found its way into New York City hospital parlance in the late 1940s.

(Oxford English Dictionary)
TLC (colloq.), tender loving care; TLC, t.l.c. (Chem.), thin-layer chromatography

1960 I. A. STANTON Dict. for Medical Secretaries 149/1 *T.L.C., abbreviation for tender, loving care.

1961 Jrnl. Amer. Oil Chemists Soc. XXXVIII. 316/1 *TLC has a number of features which make it an ideal technique for the analysis of these compounds.

13 March 1945, Gettysburg (PA) Times, "Today's Talk," pg. 4, col. 1:
T L C
A hospital ship landed many of our wounded boys on their native soil, after long service in Europe. Many of the boys and nurses were interviewed. Free talks home, presents and good cheer all around were distributed.

An interview with one of the nurses - God bless them - stays with me most vividly. SHe told an interesting story of her work with the soldiers. Then she was asked what she especially did for these wounded heroes. Her reply was that they were given TLC. Asked what this was, she said it stood for Tender, Loving Care. That was the best medicine, and the one that brought recovery and new hope fastest.
(...)
Thousands of our wounded boys are praying for TLC.

9 March 1947, Los Angeles Times, pg. E5:
"TLC" (tender, loving care) is a standard prescription, works wonders.

9 March 1947, Los Angeles Times, pg. E4:
"TLC every three hours."
(...)
Later I inquired about "TLC." Was it a new drug we hadn't heard about? "That's a medical secret," the nurse laughed. Our doctor translated it for us: "TLC" meant "Tender, loving care."

12 May 1948, New York Times, pg. 31:
HOSPITAL USES "TLC"
AS CANCER WEAPON

"Tender, Loving Care" in Home
Is Found Potent Aid - Value
in Last War Recalled

Among the by-products of the last war was the rediscovery of something partly spiritual. Army doctors, when they grasped its value and elusiveness, dubbed it TLC.

Dr. Martin Charkasky, who after five years in the Army turned to Montefiore Hospital's experiment in home care, told about TLC yesterday at a luncheon arranged for the New York City Cancer Committee by the 21 Club at 21 West Fifty-second Street.

TLC, Dr. Cherkasky explained, meant "tender, loving care" in military medical parlance and in the Montefiore program started more than a year ago.

1 December 1948, New York Times, pg. 38:
BELLEVUE HONORS
"LADY OF LEISURE"

She's No. 1 "Substitute Mother"
Giving "Tender Loving Care"
to Hospital Children
(...)
"Out motto is T. L. C. - tender loving care," Mrs. Burg said as she fondly cast her sparkling blue eyes toward a dozen child patients.

2 April 1949, Los Angeles TImes, pg. A1:
Its final class will be held in what the staff calls the T.L.C. Room. That's short for the Tender Loving Care Room.

15 September 1950, Washington Post, pg. C2:
I'M SURE you have heard about the special prescription which hospital doctors find more effective with many patients than the latest wonder drug. Noted on the chart merely as "T.L.C.," it means that "tender, loving care" is to be administered in generous doses.

16 March 1971, New York Times, pg. 74:
CITY COUNCILMAN
TO HEAD TAXI UNIT

Lazar, Democrat, Appoint
to New Post by Mayor
By FRANK J. PRIAL

City Councilman at Large Michael J. Lazar, Democrat of Queens, yesterday was named chairman of the new Taxi and Limousine Commission by Mayor Lindsay.
(...)
Mr. Lazar said he expected to absorb about 50 civilian employes of the Police Department's Hack Bureau, the agency charged with taxi regulation for more than 30 years.
(...)
Among the principal duties of the new commission will be the regular auditing of the taxi industry's financial records, as a part of its job of setting equitable fares.