tipster (n.)

古英语 -istre，源自原始日耳曼语 *-istrijon，作为等同于男性 -ere 的女性代理后缀（参见 -er（1））。中古英语中也用于形成动作名词（意为“一个人...”），不考虑性别。

无性别代理名词的使用显然是原始女性后缀的更广泛应用，起源于英格兰北部，但语言学家对于这是否意味着编织和烘焙行业的女性主导存在争议，如姓氏中所代表的 Webster， Baxter， Brewster 等（尽管现代 spinster 可能带有最初的女性结尾）。

还可比较 whitester “漂白布料的人”； kempster（约1400年； Halliwell 将其作为 kembster）“清洁羊毛的女人”。乔叟（《商人的故事》）有 chidester “一个愤怒的女人”（17世纪有 scoldster）。还可比较中古英语 shepster（14世纪后期）“裁缝，女裁剪师”，字面意思是“塑形者”； sleestere（15世纪中期）“杀人犯，女杀手”（“杀人者”）。 Sewster “女裁缝”（中古英语 seuestre，13世纪后期作为姓氏，也用于男性）在乔恩森的作品中仍然存在，但在17世纪后已经过时或只在某些地区使用。在现代英语中，该后缀在形成派生名词（gamester, roadster , punster , rodster “钓鱼者”等）方面具有生产力。萨克雷（1850年）开玩笑地使用了 spokester “女性演讲者或代言人”。

“give a small present of money to,” was originally “to give, hand, pass,” used in thieves’ cant around 1600, and may have come from tip (v.3) “to tap.” The meaning “give a gratuity to” was first recorded in 1706. The noun with the same meaning first appeared in 1755. The noun “tip” meaning “a piece of confidential information” is from 1845, and the verb meaning “to give private information to” is from 1883.

The tale of the word's supposed origin as an acronym in 18th-century English taverns became popular in mid-18th century, but seems to be no older than Frederick W. Hackwood's 1909 book, "Inns, Ales and Drinking Customs of Old England." The book claims it stands for To insure promptitude (the anecdote is told from 1946 in the form to insure promptness ). A review of the book in The Athenaeum of Oct. 2, 1909, criticized this story and wrote, "We deprecate the careless repetition of popular etymologies such as the notion that 'tip' originated from an abbreviated inscription on a box placed on the sideboard in old coaching-inns, the full meaning of which was 'To Insure Promptitude.'” For more information, see here.