Tipping by Cleo LaVally

Where, or when, did the practice of tipping for service come into being? The dictionary gives no explanation of this but does have a lot of definitions of tip.

My history in the work place, drawing a salary, spans 64 years and at only one job did I receive tips. That was during World War II when I lived in Charleston, South Carolina and as an Army wife worked on an Army Base at a concession stand selling candy, soft drinks, etc. I would get a small tip occasionally such as a Coke or a candy bar, however, I don’t remember getting money as a tip. The servicemen I served had very little extra money and the tips I received were just small rewards, I think it was just for being friendly.

In Oklahoma, in most restaurants, the salary for a waiter or waitress is very minimal and the rest of their salary comes in the form of a tip. In Europe, the tip is added to the bill and the bill is then rounded off to zero or five dollars. For instance, if you enjoyed the service and if the bill was $32, you would pay $35. If the bill was $37, you would pay $40. This was called rounding off the bill. I forget the expression they used for this practice. It was something like Over the Table cost. It would be for their drink or beer money.

In the state of Virginia, the salary for a waiter was $2.13 per hour. The waiter pays the owner 1/2 the cost for the food. In other words, they buy the food from the owner and serve it. The difference they keep is their pay.

In Washington, D.C., Phylece tips the one who shampoos her hair $5. Then she will get a haircut, color, set, and maybe a wax on her eyebrows for a cost of $140 for that service. Tip for the hair dresser is extra. On my last trip to D.C., she had made an appointment for both of us at her beauty shop to get our hair done. I declined the appointment for myself and looked at magazines while I waited for her. I was familiar with the cost she paid for getting her hair done and I backed off. My shampoo during a shower worked fine, also the hair rollers I took with me were used during my visit there.

In small towns in America, tipping is not the usual. I do know the waiters, beauty operators, etc., expect it, but since we do not have hotels, taxi cabs, etc. here, we do not see it much.

I like the small town American way of life.