Ask Yahoo!:

Dear Yahoo!:
How did the practice of tipping begin?
Trever
Lincoln, Nebraska

Dear Trever:
Etymologists trace the word "tipping" back to the street language of the medieval era, when it meant "hand it over." (It sort of means the same thing today.)

In 1972, an anthropology professor linked the words "gratuity" and "tip" in various languages to the act of imbibing. Each can be literally translated into terms that pertain to drinking -- tringeld in German, pourboire in French, for example. The Dutch word tippen (calling for service by tapping on a table) and the Latin word stips (meaning "gift") may also be related.

Whatever the origin of the word, the practice probably goes back to the first time one Neanderthal held a rock open for another Neanderthal. Or at least, as some evidence suggests, to the Roman Empire. The term has also been linked (though not by all word historians) to 18th-century England, where eating and drinking establishments put out brass urns inscribed with the phrase "To Insure Promptitude" (T.I.P.) for customers to leave money in.

According to this article by The New Yorker's James Surowiecki, tipping spread widely in the U.S. after the Civil War, despite those "who considered it a toxic vestige of Old World patronage." Back then, the practice was actually banned by six states.

Not so today. Last week we spotted a tip jar sitting on the counter at our dry cleaners. What's next? Sending in a little something to underpaid web writers who pen useful daily editorial features?

Nahhh.