Tip, 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.
Tip, a douceur; “that’s the TIP,” i.e., that’s the proper thing to do. “To miss one’s TIP,” to fail in a scheme.—Old Cant.
Tip, to give, lend, or hand over anything to another person; “come, TIP up the tin,” i.e., hand up the money; “TIP the wink,” to inform by winking; “TIP us your fin,” i.e., give me your hand; “TIP one’s boom off,” to make off, or depart. From the seafaring phrase.
Tip the double, to “bolt,” or run away from any one.
Tip-top, first-rate, of the best kind.
Tip-topper, a “swell,” or dressy man, a “Gorger.”
Tipper, a kind of ale brewed at Brighton. Mrs. Gamp preferred the “Brighton TIPPER.”
Tipster, a “turf” agent who collects early and generally special information of the condition and racing capabilities of horses in the training districts, and posts the same to his subscribers to guide their betting.
“The racing TIPSTERS have much less patronage than formerly, before “Geoffry Greenhorn” laid a trap for them, and published the tips he received in The Life. Professor Ingledue, M.A., the mesmerist, is silent; and if their subscribers, ‘for whose interests I have collected my old and able staff, with many additional ones, who are already at work in the training districts,’ could only get a sight of the ‘old and able staff,’ they would find it consisting of a man and a boy, at work in the back room of a London public-house, and sending different winners for every race to their subscribers.”—Post and Paddock, by the “Druid.”