Re: n. stiff, the antonym?


Tony Cooper wrote:
On 16 Feb 2006 05:31:25 -0800, "kane" <boykane@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:


reiro wrote:
Is there an antonym of the word 'stiff' - the one that gives poor tips?

Could I just ask a silly question?
What does "poor tips" mean?

There are two possible meanings: (1) an amount of money given to a
waitress (or other service person) to recognize good service, and (2)
a piece of advice.

In this thread, we're working on the assumption that (1) is meant. A
tip smaller than deserved or expected could be a "poor tip", but a
piece of advice that is not good would be a "bad tip". "Poor" and
"bad" could be interchanged in these usages, but I'm going with the
common formations.

Oddly, the use of "poor" suggested meaning 2 to me rather than 1. I
would probably have used small or mean for meaning 1.

I also struggled with the question for the same reason as others, the
only common noun use of stiff I knew was dead body. Would not someone
who "stiffs" be a "stiffer"?

I have come across "stiff" as a verb meaning to extract extra charges
by invoking hidden clauses or traps in contracts. I can see that
giving a small tip is similar but I don't remember hearing it in that
context. I have heard London cabbies (taxi / cab drivers) use the
phrase: "He legalled me off" meaning "he paid the indicated fare and no
more".

I find the tip culture in America a challenge. How much and when to
tip is not obvious to me. For example, sometimes the bill includes a
tip (a weird concept in itself), are you expected to add even more?

--
Seán O'Leathlóbhair

.