THE FIRST WORD

cumshaw

PRONUNCIATION:

(KUM-shaw) 

MEANING:

noun: A gift or a tip.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Chinese (Amoy/Xiamen dialect), kan (to be grateful) + hsieh (thanks). The term was used by beggars in Chinese ports and picked up by visiting sailors during the 19th century. Earliest documented use: 1839.

USAGE:

"All those extra bodies don't necessarily increase the chances for cumshaw, according to some tip recipients."
Sean M. Wood; Tourism Doesn't Fill Their Tip Jar; San Antonio Express-News (Texas); Apr 7, 2006.