How did the word TIPS come about?

I was lazing on the couch one evening watching 'Wah Lai Toi'. It was showing 'From City to City - England' at that time. As like any other travel channels, the TV host gave a highlight of the interesting places to visit in the London City. Since I had been to London back in Oct06, I was familiar with the interest places that was shown.

As the TV host was having a 'pub lunch' in one of the gastropub, he began to tell the history of England pubs, explaining the differences between the traditional pubs and current ones, the important factors of British pub signs during the Middle Ages BUT what interest me the most was how did the word TIPS come about which I've never known or even thought of.

According to the dictionary, TIP (also known as gratuity) is a payment to certain service sector workers beyond the advertised bill or fee. These payments and their size are a matter of social custom.

So what did the TV host said? According to him, the word "TIPS" is an acronym for the terms "To Insure Prompt Service". Now isn't that interesting? To me, it does.

I did a quick Wiki on the word tip and found more interesting stuff.

Gratuity in different languages

All of the followings are nouns, but some may also be used as a verb:

• Chinese (Mandarin): 小費 (Xiao fèi), lit. small charge; 打賞 (Da Shang) lit. give awards.
• Chinese (Cantonese): Tip屎 (Tip Si), transliterated from the word 'tips', also refers to hints
• Dutch: de fooi
• Finnish: tippi or juomaraha (literally 'drink money').
• French: le pourboire, literally 'for a drink'.
• German: das Trinkgeld, literally 'drink money'.
• Hebrew: תשר (Tesher)
• Hindi: Chai-Pani (for Tea or Water) or Bakshish (pronounced as buck-sheesh)
• Icelandic: þjórfé (literally 'drink money').
• Italian: la mancia
• Japanese: チップ (chippu), transliterated from 'tip'; 心付け (kokorozuke), lit. pay from heart
• Portuguese (Brazil): a gorjeta
• Russian: На чай (Na chai) or Чаевые(Chaevie), lit. for a tea
• Serbian: Бакшиш (Bakshish)
• Spanish: la propina
• Swedish: dricks

Now I learn something for the day.. =)