Friday, June 20, 2025

Tipping Etiquette History

Regardless of how cute or funny a restaurant tries to make it, a command to “tip the waiter” will still annoy many patrons.
The Pernicious Habit of Tipping

New Orleans has rebelled against lagniappe and declared for its abolition. A practice which probably began in the simple courtesy of giving a stick of candy or some delicacy to a customer’s child with time grew into a heavy tax upon trade. By becoming virtually compulsory it lost its first sentimental purpose of personal kindness and good will and took on the character of a fixed exaction, just as tipping has done here.

The abuse common to many domestic servants and commercial buyers who have levied commissions upon dealers of all sorts for giving preference to their goods led to the passage of the Saxe anti-tipping law. It promises to interfere with the private profits of purchasing agents, as well as of stewards and grooms and gardeners.

In Great Britain the prevention of corruption bill, which went into effect Jan. 1st, shuts off similar favors corruptly given to influence an agent in the discharge of his principal’s business. While it is not expected to affect open tipping, strictly enforced it may undermine that flourishing British institution, the Christmas box, which had almost ceased to be a gratuity and become a vested right. 

British tradesmen desired to protect their trade by distributing Christmas bonuses, but to all practical purposes they had lost the privilege of choice. The Spectator suggests the adoption of the rule followed by several firms in Geneva which, in place of their usual indiscriminate gifts of cigars, chocolate and so on, hand over a sum of money to the public authorities for charitable distribution.

The Petit Parisien, in discussing the question of New Year’s presents and “pourboires,” uncovered an interesting state of opinion in certain trades. The Barbers’ Trades Union in Paris, for instance, in its constitution, which dates from 1887, prescribes the suppression of tipping. It takes the logical position that the laborer, being worthy of his hire, should not depend for pay upon the caprice or generosity of the customers. 

As an employee the barber, like any other worker, is entitled to fixed, adequate wages. The circumstance that tips are so frequently bestowed tends to reduce wages unfairly and to lower the standing of the worker. The dignity of labor, in a personal and material way, is made on the basis of the barbers’ protest against the long-unaccepted tip. was regarded as the mark of a foreigner to stretch the grateful hand to the tipper. 

The average American worker would have regarded the offer of money as an insult. In many occupations the practice is now as firmly established as abroad, but the American rule requires a liberality unknown in Europe. It would be refreshing to have a barbers’ or waiters’ union in New York make formal protest against the degrading and humiliating influence of tipping. – New York World, 1907


🍽️Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

No comments:

Post a Comment