Claim:.
The term “tip” originates from an abbreviation for “To Insure Promptness” or “To Insure Performance.”
Rating:.
Origin
Once again, many believe that everyday words have led to interesting backstories, as a name or series of words came into the English language as an acronym or tip.
[Collected on the Internet, 2002]
Excuse me, but isn’t that the entire point of the whole tipping system? Isn’t that exactly why tips To Insure Promptness evolved in the first place?
[Collected on the Internet, 2001]
Well you know, TIP is an acronym for “To Insure Performance” and was originally administered before the meal. You give a good tip, and that ensured that your tea/water/beer was always full.
[Collected on the Internet, 2000]
By the way, did you know where the word tip came from? It was common in English pubs several hundred years ago to have a box next to the door, with the initials, T.I.P.S., which stood for ‘To Insure Prompt Service’.
Significantly older than that is gratuity (used in the sense of a tip), and so far, we haven’t discovered any abbreviation that existed before the 20th century. The term “tip” became a part of our vocabulary in a rather ordinary manner — there were no designated boxes labeled “TIPS” where the thirsty customers in ancient times would place their offerings in order to ensure a continuous flow of drinks, regrettably.
The acronym Tip seems to have three main “interpretations,” none of which are valid.
The “explanations” of practicality on short and theory on long are fanciful. There is nothing insured about the transaction, but handing over a prior gratuity might inspire the one receiving largesse to provide a higher level of service. Although the words “insured” and “ensured” have a long history of being used in the same sense in English, one might claim that “insured” should be properly replaced with “ensured.” The pre-waiter, who is capable of delivering poor service, is just as likely to be tipped until the meal has been served. Indeed, it might be counterproductive to provide the provision of palm oil in front of the counter before the act of removing a substantial portion of the incentive to perform admirably. Speaking to the server’s pocket, the act already lessens the interest in making sure that all goes well, as the money is already in their pocket.
It doesn’t matter how large the gratuity is or how good the service was, anyone who enables time to go back and ensure that whatever place has already been taken will be satisfied. It is recognized that the act of giving a gratuity has already been carried out, so it is not surprising that some people wonder where the false etymologies of the word ‘insure’ come from. The above explanation does not disprove the claim that the acronymic part of the word ‘insure’ is false, so it is not necessary to maintain that a tip is not furnished ahead of time.
The characters in the story are using argot, which is a part of the current criminal underworld.
Nowadays, the use of this tip has entirely become respectable, but it is amusing to discover that the tough guy jargon of linguistic life began its usage. If future generations wonder, they will similarly discover some everyday terms sprang from scenes in The Godfather or were first voiced in episodes of The Sopranos.
Sources
Konigsburg, E.L. The Perspective from Saturday. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1996. ISBN 0-689-81721-5 (pp. 98, 126).
Rawson, Hugh. Sneaky Origins. New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks, 1994. ISBN 0-517-88128-4 (pp. 201-202).
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993. ISBN 0-19-861258-3.
By Snopes Staff
By Barbara Mikkelson
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