History of Tipping : From Scourge of Democracy to American Ritual

How did tipping become an American ritual?

Tim Sablik looks at this interesting history of tipping in Richmond Fed ‘s EconFocus:

Historians aren’t entirely sure when tipping began, but it may go as far back as the ancient Roman Empire. In his 1998 book Tipping: An American Social History of Gratuities, historian Kerry Segrave placed its origin in the Middle Ages. In 16th century England, wealthy travelers who came to stay in a friend’s home would give money to the host’s servants. These sums of money, known as vails, were intended to compensate the servants for taking on the additional work of caring for the guests on top of their regular duties.

The custom grew quickly. Household servants came to expect and even demand vails, to the growing irritation of travelers. Segrave noted that by the 18th century, even British royalty complained about the rising cost of staying with friends because of the vails. House staff reportedly went so far as to threaten guests who refused to pay. Ungenerous guests might be met with spilled food at the dinner table or an injured horse in the stables. Some nobles reduced their travels to avoid the issue altogether, while others tried to band together to abolish the practice. Such efforts met fierce resistance. A meeting in London in 1764 to discuss the banning of vails was disrupted by servants throwing rocks through the windows of the meeting hall.

How did the name Tip come about?

Around the same time, tipping also started to emerge in English coffeehouses. Patrons would tip waitstaff to receive better service. This may be where the word “tip” entered the English language, although there is disagreement about its etymology. One popular story is that the word came from a particular London coffeehouse frequented by English writer Samuel Johnson in the mid-1700s. Reportedly, tables in the coffeehouse had bowls with the words “To Insure Promptitude” printed on them, and patrons would drop coins in the bowls to receive better service. Tip is the abbreviation of this phrase. However, Segrave provided evidence that the word was already in use prior to the time of Johnson, calling this origin story into question.

In his book, he suggested that tip may have come from the Dutch word “tippen,” which means “to tap.” In this context, it referred to the sound of a patron tapping a coin against a glass to get the server’s attention. Segrave also observed that the words for tip in many other languages are related to drinking. “Pourboire” in French, which means “for drink”; “trinkgeld” in German, meaning “drink money”; and “propina” in Spanish, which refers to an invitation to drink. In English, the word “tipple” means “to drink alcohol,” so tip may be an abbreviation that emerged from giving gratuities to bartenders.

Whatever the origins of the word, by the late 18th century, it had become increasingly customary in England and other parts of Europe to give tips to servants in domestic and commercial settings. In the early history of the United States, however, tipping remained uncommon and was subject to intense criticism. The practice of giving vails in England was wrapped up in long-standing European class distinctions between the tipper (wealthy aristocrats) and the recipients (servants). Many Americans viewed this practice as antithetical to the country’s founding egalitarian principles. A good example of this sentiment can be found in The Itching Palm, an anti-tipping book written by author and social activist William R. Scott in 1916.