Hot Tips
b"If you live in the United States, you\\u2019re familiar with a curious mathematical ritual that takes place at the end of every restaurant meal\\u2014it\\u2019s time to tip, with all the stress the process entails. How much should you leave? Who's getting that money? Is it enough? (And will you look like an idiot if you start counting on your fingers?) Unlike many other countries, where people tip by rounding up to the nearest ringgit or krona\\u2014or don\\u2019t even tip at all\\u2014it\\u2019s become standard in the U.S. to leave an extra 20 percent of the bill's total for your server. But how did we get here? How did tipping, a practice with roots in feudal Europe, become so ubiquitous in the United States while nearly disappearing from its home continent? And what does the abolition of slavery in the U.S.\\u2014and Herman Cain\\u2014have to do with the sub-minimum tipped wage of $2.13 today? Is tipping fair\\u2014and is there anything we can do about it?\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices"