If you’re just leaving a dollar on the bar for every drink, like is tradition in America…
You’re likely committing a faux pas without even knowing it. According to anthropologist Kate Fox, who studies the English, the proper way to tip in England is by saying these sweet, sweet words to the bartender: “And one for yourself?” Meaning: and buy a drink for yourself (aka take out the equivalent as a tip).
In Kate’s book, Watching the English*, she goes on to say that “to give bar staff a tip would be an impolite reminder of their ‘service role,’ whereas to offer a drink is to treat them as equals.”
Isn’t that fantastically elegant?
