A long, long time ago, the well-to-do bribed servers to save their meals from a special sauce of spittle.

That’s where the term T.I.P.S came from — To insure proper service.

OK, that’s probably just legend. There’s really no definitive origin for giving money to the people who serve your dinner, cut your hair and paint your nails.

Regardless, tipping has become ingrained in the American psyche and if you eat at a restaurant or partake in a number of other services, you’re pretty much expected to leave a tip.

Who says? The Emily Post Institute, for one, and most servers, housekeepers, hair dressers, and a slew of other people in the service and hospitality industries.

Setting tippers straight

Considered a “civility barometer for American society,” the Emily Post Institute has taught Americans about proper etiquette since 1946, when it was founded by Emily Post. Post became a maven of social conduct through her numerous books, a syndicated column and a regular network radio program. Her great-great granddaughter, Lizzie Post, is continuing her work.

Along with opening doors for others and chewing with your mouth closed, tipping falls under proper social conduct.

Although Post isn’t sure how tipping got started, she said it’s more customary in America than in other countries to give tips. This may have something to do with tipping laws for food servers, she said.

“It’s expected that the tip will help them pay their income,” she said.

According to the Internal Revenue Service Web site, all tips are considered income and are subject to federal income tax.

Crystal Forsberg is a waitress at Sapphires Mongolian Grill in North Bend. To Forsberg, tipping is an important part of a waitress’ income.

“I have so many friends that are waitresses. (Tips are) how they pay their bills,” Forsberg said. “Especially around here. It’s hard for girls to get a job where you can pay day care while paying bills. They’re either working two jobs or they’re waitressing.”

But tipping means more than that for those giving and receiving, Post noted.

“The general idea is that we recognize this is a good thing to do for the people who really make a difference.”

For Liz Mohney, the breakfast and lunch server at Bandon Bill’s Grill, tips mean nothing compared to the satisfaction of a job well done.

The waitress and former business owner has worked in the service industry since she was a teenager in the Willamette Valley more than three decades ago.

“I get paid to do my job,” Mohney explained. “So, when I get tipped, I feel like that’s a gift.”

That job, she said, is proper service.

“(Customers) know what to look for,” Mohney said. “Is there water, do they refill your coffee, that sort of thing. What people like you to do is come back and check on them, to make sure you’re doing all right.”

After the meal is finished, a customer’s response tells Mohney how she’s doing.

“Some people can’t afford a tip always, but everybody seems to leave something,” Mohney said. “If they leave with a smile on their face, you feel good.”

But what if service is bad? Post said a customary tip should still be left, because the server will blame the customer.

“Put your mouth where your money should be and talk to the manager about it,” Post said.

Also, because tips are often split between waiters, busboys and bartenders, all servers can suffer for one person’s offense.

“They’re not getting their fair share because you decided to withhold the tip,” Post said.

Cherie Bell, the lead housekeeper at Sunset Lodging in Bandon, says her work in the service industry has influenced the way she tips others.

“Now that I do the job, I appreciate it a lot more,” she said. “I tip at restaurants; I tip the lady at the coffee shop in the morning; I’ve tipped gas station attendants when they’ve washed my windows.”

When it comes to other housekeepers, her insight determines the size of her tip. In a recent trip to Disneyland, Bell stayed at a hotel where her children found dirty underwear under a bed.

“It was a huge hassle to get any towels, they were bothered when I tried to get new bedding,” she said. “I don’t think we left a tip.”

Only if you deserve it

Yellow Cab Taxi driver Phillip “Joe” Murray cruises the streets in car 54, picking up fares. Some are tourists, others are regulars who just need a ride to work.

Like his passengers, Murray’s tips can vary greatly, but he believes everyone deserves the same service. An independent contractor, he leases his taxi from Yellow Cab.

“You’ve got to give good customer service. It’s the most important thing in this job to make money,” Murray said. “They deserve 100 percent of my service just as much as anyone else does, whether they’re tippers or not,” he said.

Although tips can make up about 50 percent of his wages, Murray said he doesn’t fuss over gratuities.

“If you feel you got service worthy of a tip than you should tip. ...That’s how I look at it,” Murray said.