Word of the Day

: September 26, 2011

baksheesh

noun BAK-sheesh

What It Means

: payment (as a tip or bribe) to expedite service

baksheesh in Context

"I’m sure the fact that we got seated so quickly had nothing to do that with that little baksheesh you just slipped the host," said Erica to her dining companion.

"Perhaps if the National Association of Barking Treefrogs can send several thousand dollars of baksheesh to Cannon's Leadership Fund, the speaker will exercise some leadership in getting the frog thing passed." -- From an article by Daniel Ruth in the St. Petersburg Times (Florida), May 6, 2011

Did You Know?

"Baksheesh" came into the English language around 1686 and was most likely picked up by British subjects as they traveled abroad. In Asia, English speakers would have heard "baksheesh" used as a word meaning "gratuity, a present of money, tip" -- a meaning they directly adopted. Etymologically speaking, "baksheesh" is from Persian "bakhshīsh," which is also the source of the word "buckshee," meaning "something extra obtained free," "extra rations," or "windfall, gratuity." "Buckshee" is strictly a British English term and is not used in American English.