Word Confusion: Gratuity versus Tip

Posted April 11, 2024 by kddidit in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

With all that’s been in the news about tipping, I got to wondering what the difference was in this word confusion gratuity vs tip.

Well, it seems that a gratuity is a fancy way to say tip. It also sounds better when written out, e.g., “Gratuities accepted” or “Gratuities not required”.

Think of it, in practice, as being a more dignified way of “tipping” a maître d’.

A tip is more wide-ranging. It’s an informal way to present your thanks to a taxi driver or the waitress at your favorite diner. A tip is also a way of giving someone a hint or a warning.

NOTE: This post has focused only on tip as it relates to a reward or an aid to someone.

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Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Gratuity	Tip
Learn How to Get a Handle on Your Finances is under the Public Domain Mark 1.0 license, via Picryl and courtesy of Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. — That’s some gratuity.	Tip Jar by Havaysard79 is under the CC0 1.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons and courtesy of Money Pantry.com.
Part of Grammar:
Noun Plural: gratuities	Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: tips Gerund: tipping Third person present verb: tips Past tense or past participle: tipped Present participle: tipping
Noun: A tip given to a waiter, taxicab driver, etc. Something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service	Noun: A small sum of money given to someone as a reward for performing a service, in addition to the official payment and for their personal use, such as serving in a restaurant [Dated] A small sum of money given to a child as a gift A small but useful piece of practical advice A piece of information given in a discreet or confidential way about illicit or criminal activities A very reliable prediction or piece of inside information Verb: To give (someone) a small sum of money as a reward for performing a service, such as serving in a restaurant [Informal; tip off] To supply with private or secret information Inform To warn of impending danger or trouble To caution beforehand Verb, transitive: [Dated] To give a small sum of money to (a child) as a gift [British English] To predict as likely to win or achieve something [tip out] To distribute a portion of one’s tips to (a co-worker)
Examples:
Noun: Yes, I gave the steward a gratuity. “Most prices don’t include tax, gratuity, or beverages, but there are a few exceptions” (Yara). “Dinners start at $280 per person, including tax and gratuity, and must be reserved in advance” (Japhe). “Price: $70 per adult and $35 per child, plus tax and gratuity” (Finley).	Noun: He never leaves a tip. He gave me a tip that transformed the way that I play. Uncle Max gave little Helen a $5 tip. Officials got a tip about a gang smuggling cigarettes. They have a new column of tips on gardening. A tip helped police identify the man, leading to his arrest. Are those tips you’re getting legal? Crap, tips are considered taxable income and not a gift. Verb, intransitive: That sort of person never tips. She tipped lavishly. “Villegas had come under suspicion in 2018 and was placed under surveillance by Internal Affairs, who were tipped off by former police commissioner Steve Soboroff that Villegas may have been seen driving under the influence” (Jany). The moonshiners had been tipped off that they were about to be raided. Verb, transitive: I tipped my niece five dollars. The taxi driver was so rude to her that she didn’t tip him. “White men tipped him with quarters and nickels, dropped into a spittoon” (Skelton). “The Kremlin meddled in the 2016 election, attempting to tip the scales in Trump’s favor” (Fix). Christine was widely tipped to get the job. The moonshiners had been tipped off that they were about to be raided. The servers tip out everyone who buses the tables.
Derivatives:
Noun: gratitude	Noun: tipper, tipster
History of the Word:
Late 15th century, denoting graciousness or favor is from the Old French gratuité or the medieval Latin gratuitas meaning gift, from the Latin gratus meaning pleasing, thankful.	Early 17th century in the sense give, hand, pass and probably from the late Middle English from the Old Norse typpi noun), typpa (verb), typptr meaning tipped.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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