In reply to:

Not sure what the UK equivalent would be. Something boring like "we crashed into the side of their car.."

I think most people would say that they'd hit a car broadside.

I've never heard this T-Bone thing till this thread, but it sounds like something that's been around for a long time. I always felt that way when listening to Ross Perot speak. He used expressions I'd never heard, but they sounded like they'd been around forever.