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The Troubling Origins of Tipping Culture

mentalfloss.com · 1,688 words · saved by 1 readers

Believe it or not, Americans didn't always tip. Here's how a custom borrowed from European aristocrats became entwined with the exploitation of newly freed Blac

Add us as a preferred source A group of African American waiters stop to smile on their way to deliver cocktails circa 1950 Nashville, Tennessee. | Bob Grannis/Getty Images It’s something so embedded in everyday life in the United States that you might not think twice before tapping an extra 20% onto your restaurant bill. But why do we tip in the first place—and how did a voluntary token of appreciation become an expected way of subsidizing workers’ pay? --> It’s something so embedded in everyday life in the United States that you might not think twice before tapping an extra 20% onto your res

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