cumshaw means A gratuity or tip as thanks for a service. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “cumshaw” is a great word
CUMSHAW — [Noun/Verb] A gratuity or tip given as thanks for a service, or the act of bestowing such a gift. Borrowed from Hokkien (Xiamen dialect) 感謝 / 感谢 (kám-siā, "thank you, gratitude"), entering English in the early 19th century. Unlike a "bribe," which implies an illicit payment to influence an action, or a "salary," which denotes a fixed, contractual wage, cumshaw is the small, voluntary token for a service already rendered—a currency of goodwill, not coercion or contract. It is the silver coin pressed into the calloused palm of the dockhand, the unexpected bottle left for the night watchman, or the extra pastry slipped to the courier in the rain—a material whisper of gratitude that quietly oils the machinery of the world.
Etymology
Borrowed from Hokkien 感謝 /感谢 (kám-siā, “thank you”).
noun
- A gratuity or tip as thanks for a service
verb
- To give or make a present to.