HISTORY99 - Tipping
The practice of tipping for services seems to be on a lot of people’s minds these days, particularly with the recent aggressive solicitations for higher tips in restaurants. So, before getting emotional about what restaurants are try to do to us, I thought an article on history of tipping would be enlightening. After a short introduction, I will cover the origins of tipping in Europe in the 15 th and 16 th centuries, early tipping in the U.S. in the mid-19 th century, anti-tipping initiatives in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries, the swing back to tipping in early to mid-20 th century, our modern tipping culture today, and the future of tipping. I will end with some reflections on what I’ve learned and/or my opinions on tipping. I will list my principal sources at the end. Introduction A tip (also called a gratuity) is a sum of money customarily given by a customer to certain service workers for the service they have performed, in addition to the basic pri