Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a piece of ‘inside’ information, esp. as regards a sporting contest, usu. racing or boxing.

1842		Quarterly Rev. clxiii 175: It should be the first duty of consuls to keep the Foreign Office promptly supplied with every commercial tip that can be of use to British trade [F&H].
1859		G.A. Sala Gaslight and Daylight 88: ‘Nemo,’ who offers you an undeniable ‘tip,’ and ‘Mendax,’ with his never-failing ‘pick.’.
1863		T. Taylor Ticket-Of-Leave Man Act III: I’m in two tips already [...] I stand to win a fiver on Pollux for the Derby, and a good thing on the Count for the Ascot Cup.
1873		Sl. Dict. 323: tip n.5 advice or information respecting anything, but mostly used in reference to horse-racing, so that the person tipped may know how to bet to the best advantage. The ‘straight tip’ is the TIP which comes direct from the owner or trainer of a horse. Of late years a ‘straight TIP’ means a direct hint on any subject.
1883		J. Greenwood Tag, Rag & Co. 190: Preferring Mr. Mobbs’ ‘tip’ for the Leger or the Derby to that of the professional newspaper prophet.
1892		Albert Chevalier ‘Our Little Nipper’ 🎵 And though ’is education ’as been free, ’E’s allus ’ad the best of tips from me.
1897		E.W. Townsend Chimmie Fadden 22: Are you on t’ de tip she was giving me?
1899–1900		H. Lawson ‘The Babies in the Bush’ in Roderick (1972) 406: Take my tip for it.
1908		Sporting Times 2 May 10/3: As Dean Swift was the official ‘Pink ’Un’ tip, I may express the hope that some of you profited by his victory.
1914		A. Jennings Beating Back in Hamilton (1952) 93: We never robbed a train unless we had a tip on a large sum of money.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 306: That’s the bucko that’ll organise her, you take my tip.
1926		(con. 1900s) J.B. Booth ‘Master’ and Men 296: But that’s what won it [...] it was ’im wot give Bossy the tip.
1929		W.R. Burnett Little Caesar (1932) 90: I like you and I’m going to give you a tip.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Dream Street Rose’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 58: I am anxious to see what goes on in the first race [...] having a first-class tip.
1940		J.H. O’Hara Pal Joey 93: Overhearing a tip on a horse at Arlington.
1940		D. Maurer Big Con 89: Would you consider giving me a tip or two [...] ?
1951		Cusack & James Come in Spinner (1960) 318: ‘Look at the McFarlands sucking up to that fellow Walters. They must be after a tip.’ ‘If you own a racehorse you can get anywhere.’.
1965		F.J. Hardy Yarns of Billy Borker 58: A bloke gave me a tip yesterday. Said it was a certainty and it didn’t even run a place.
1973		Sun. Times Mag. 23 Sept. 68: A tip is phoned to Aline Mosby of United Press.
1988		D. Woodrell Muscle for the Wing 23: The trustee at the nut house gave me a tip.
1998		I. Welsh Filth 39: These bastards, ah widnae gie them a bad tip on the fuckin gee-gees.
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 129: Tips logged: 8/60, 9/60, 4/61 [...] Snitch tips — thus far unverified.

2. a bookmaker.

1869

Man about Town 18 Sept. 2/3: [A] crack horse named ‘Immenschikoff’ was entered for one of the great events, was selected by all the ‘tips’ as a safe winner.

3. an explanation.

1869

Sportsman (London) 11 Aug. 2/1: Notes on News [...] [H]e would [...] have been a much greater man had he quietly given a ‘tip’ as to how the debts could be paid.

4. the subject of the tip, usu. a horse.

1873

Besant & Rice Little Girl II 130: He had on some score or so of occasions taken a long shot, backed a tip or a fancy.

5. one’s point, one’s intention.

1875		‘Aliph Cheem’ (1905) Lays of Ind 13: The stranger bawled, ‘Thanks, very much, but that is not my tip!’.
1887		‘’Arry in the Witness-Box’ in Punch 5 Feb. 61/2: I fair lost my tip , / And went slopping about all over the shop; letting all sorts o’ secrets let slip.

6. a special hint or trick.

1886		W. Newton Secrets of Tramp Life Revealed 15: He [...] walks to the door where he has left his confederate to give him the ‘tip’ that all is clear.
1890		Sporting Times 15 Feb. 1/5: Leave the Home Rulers to do all the violence, is my tip.
1908		‘O. Henry’ ‘Roses, Ruses and Romance’ in Voice of the City (1915) 139: How do you get your ‘tip,’ as you call it?
1910		Sporting Times 8 Jan. 2/4: Take my tip, now, an’ I’ll put you on a good thing!
1920		Ade Hand-made Fables 31: The Guv’nor got him up on the Carpet and give him a quiet Tip to lay off on signing Checks and work a Soft Pedal on the Expense Account.
1934		Wodehouse Right Ho, Jeeves 157: I’ve a good mind to take that tip of yours and have a drink.
1952		K. Amis letter 8 Sept. in Leader (2000) 291: Still, thanks for the tip.
1995		J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 158: ‘You want the recipe Andy? [...]’ ‘Thanks for the tip Nicky.’.
2000		Guardian Editor 21 Jan. 19: So vinegar is good for powder burns. That’s the kind of tip you don’t get on Martha Stewart.

7. a tip-off, but used as any reason for an arrest, not simply information given to the police.

1901		J. Flynt World of Graft 48: There’s lots as do, and you can take my tip for it.
1928		M.C. Sharpe Chicago May (1929) 88: The underworld, however, is suspicious of tips and wants to know their source.
1937		E. Anderson Thieves Like Us (1999) 157: This hotel detective [...] plugged in on her telephone. He got the tip that way.
1945		J. Fishman Bullets for Two 14: This looks like a tip to the hiding place of the stolen car operator in that section.
1953		J. Thompson Savage Night (1991) 143: She could take credit for the tip and claim the rewards.
1957		C. Himes Imabelle 51: All right, what’s the tip about the frogs?
1965		C. Himes Rage in Harlem (1969) 53: [as 1957].
1970		G. Cain Blueschild Baby 102: [A] white in Harlem is a tip. Police know what he’s up there for, pussy or dope and all they got to do is lay.
1980		(con. 1940s–60s) H. Huncke ‘Florence’ in Eve. Sun Turned Crimson (1998) 201: They had received a tip on Charlie and he was supposed to have sold to an agent on an earlier date.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 37: A tip on the midnight buy.
1998		Hip-Hop Connection Dec. 10: The investigation is not closed, with tips still spilling in every so often.

8. (US Und.) a warning.

1897		Worker (Brisbane) 4 Sept. 8/3: And when he gets a reprimand, or gentle kind of ‘tip,’ / He tells you in a whisper that "he got a blooming “chip.”’.
1901		C.R. Wooldridge Hands Up! 93: Soon the ‘tip’ went to the politicians who posed as the protectors [...] of the confidence men, ‘Have Wooldridge called off, or the game is gone.’.
1908		‘Old Sleuth’ Dock Rats of N.Y. (2006) 17: ‘She was sending a message to warn the detective of his danger, and the letter was intercepted.’ [...] ‘Why would she want to give the Government officer the “tip”?’.
1931		C.B. Yorke ‘Snowbound’ in Gangster Stories Oct. n.p.: ‘This is just a friendly tip. You’re on the spot’.
1958		N.Y. Age 12 July 10/1: Any individual who thinks he or she is going through life with no minuses better get hipped to the tip right now.

9. (US Und.) a confidence trick in cards where the victim is lured with the offer of being given information about another player’s hand.

1916		J. Lait ‘Canada Kid’ in Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 174: ‘Silk’ Tavannes, in his day the smoothest green goods steerer, the oiliest master of the tip and toss the West had known.
1940		D. Maurer Big Con 310: The tip. A short-con game sometimes worked by big-con men. The roper offers to help the mark fleece the insideman by tipping off his hand in a poker game. He is allowed to win a convincer, and is then faro-banked out of his money.