Date:  Tue, 8 Apr 1997 11:09:27 -0500
<br>From:  Mark Mandel  Mark[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]DRAGONSYS.COM 
<br>Subject: tipping -Reply
<br>
<br>    E.W. Gilman  egilman[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]WEBSTER.M-W.COM  0408.0430    
<br>It occurs to me that it is curious that no one to my knowledge has pointed
<br>out the illogicality of the supposed acronymic source--to insure
<br>promptness--of the word tip. How could money given after the meal or
<br>whatever is consumed insure prompt service? If the tip were given first,
<br>maybe, but some of the tips I have given over the years would only
<br>insure dilatoriness.
<br>   
<br>
<br>This counter-argument, at least, fails my reality test. Sure, a stranger
<br>passing through the only place in the country with such a box couldn't
<br>benefit from it, nor the waiters (or whatever) from him. But:
<br>
<br>a. Repeat customers stand to benefit from a reputation as good tippers
<br>(or even more so, discriminating tippers!). Consider the farmer who
<br>comes to market every week or every month, or the drummer (traveling
<br>salesman) on a regular route.
<br>
<br>b. If the custom is widespread, then even the passer-through can be
<br>expected with some confidence to know about it, and to tip after good
<br>service -- or, conversely, to tip in the expectation of good service. You
<br>may read "hope" for "expect(ation)" here, since the one-time transaction
<br>depends on trust.
<br>
<br>Mind yez, I do not support the purportive acronymic origin! I'm just trying
<br>to keep the counter-arguments clean.
<br>
<br>    Mark A. Mandel : Senior Linguist : mark[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]dragonsys.com
<br>  Dragon Systems, Inc. : speech recognition : +1 617 965-5200
<br> 320 Nevada St., Newton, MA 02160, USA : http://www.dragonsys.com/
<br>      Personal home page: http://world.std.com/~mam/
<br>