Tinned question for Brits

[psychic_serpent]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Kirstini" <kirst_inn at y...> 
wrote:
> Christian wrote: When we get British cruiseship-passengers 
visiting, 
> they occasionally give me or the other guide some money, 
saying "for 
> the tin".  Am I correct in assuming this is not meant as a tip to 
> the guides, but as a contribution to the museum (there presumably 
> being a tradition in 
> British small museums for a tin inwhich visitors donate money to 
the 
> museum)?
> 
>                                ***
> 
> It's for you, I would imagine. I used to waitress, and was told 
> frequently when tipped, mostly by older customers, "take this for 
> your kitty" - ie the staff kitty, which I assume is a Scottish 
> version of the same thing.  

In Robert Crichton's novel "The Camerons," taking place in the 
Scotland of the late nineteenth/early twentieth century, the family 
keep their savings in a small metal casket called a "kist."  "Kitty" 
is probably derived from this in Scots vernacular.  "Kist" probably 
comes from "cistum," the Latin for "box," and it's not hard to see 
that "chest" is another word that comes from this.

--Barb

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Psychic_Serpent
http://www.schnoogle.com/authorLinks/Barb