gyp

English

Etymology 1

Perhaps from the term gypsy (“Roma”), due to a stereotype of the Roma as swindlers. Compare jew (“defraud”), from Jew, and welsh (“swindle by defaulting on a debt”), from Welsh. Could also be derived from dupe, with the same pattern (yod coalescence) as idiot becomes eejit in Scottish English.

Alternative forms

• gip, jip

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɪp/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪp

Noun

gyp (plural gyps)

1. (derogatory, sometimes offensive) A cheat or swindle; a rip-off.

   Why do we have to buy this new edition of the textbook when there’s almost no difference between it and the previous one? What a gyp!

2. Synonym of gypsy (“contra dance step”)

Usage notes

Because this term is often considered to derive from the exonymic term Gypsy and represent a racist stereotype of the Romani, it may be offensive. See the usage note about gypsy.

Derived terms

• full gyp
• hall gyp

 

Translations

a cheat or swindle; a rip-off

• Bulgarian: измамник (bg) m (izmamnik), мошеник (bg) m (mošenik)
• Polish: kanciarz (pl) m

Verb

gyp (third-person singular simple present gyps, present participle gypping, simple past and past participle gypped)

1. (derogatory, sometimes offensive) To cheat or swindle.

   The cab driver gypped me out of ten bucks by taking the longer route.

   You better watch out; they'll try to gyp you if you don't know what you're doing.

   • 1996, "Weird Al" Yankovic (lyrics and music), “The Night Santa Went Crazy”, in Bad Hair Day‎^[1]:

     They're talkin' bout the night Santa went crazy
     The night St. Nicholas flipped
     Broke his back for some milk and cookies
     Sounds to me like he was tired of gettin' gypped

   • 2023 March 16, Maya Yang, quoting Whoopi Goldberg, “Whoopi Goldberg apologizes for using Romany slur on ABC’s The View”, in The Guardian‎^[2], →ISSN:

     On Wednesday, Goldberg used a derogatory term associated with Romany people while discussing former president Donald Trump, saying that his supporters are “people who still believe that he got gypped somehow in the election”.

Usage notes

See the notes about the noun, above.

Etymology 2

Perhaps the same as Etymology 1. An earlier theory derived the term from Ancient Greek γύψ (gúps, “vulture”) (/ɡýps/; compare Greek γύπας (gýpas) /ˈʝi.pas/), "in reference to thievish habits of the servants" (and then derived Etymology 1 thence), but this does not explain the pronunciation.

Noun

gyp (plural gyps)

1. (Cambridge University, Durham University, historical) A domestic servant, generally male, who would attend upon (usually several) students, brushing their clothes, carrying parcels, waiting at parties and other tasks; generally equivalent to a scout in the historical sense at Oxford University or a skip at Trinity College, Dublin.
   • 1880, William Blades, The Enemies of Books, page 40:

     All was neglect. The outer door of this room, which was open, was nearly on a level with the Quadrangle — some coats and trousers and boots were upon the ebony table and a "gyp" was brushing away at them just within the door — in wet weather he performed these functions entirely within the library, as innocent of the incongruity of his position as my guide himself.

   • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

     'Why, what is the matter with you, John?' I asked of the gyp who waited on Vincey and myself.

   • 1907, E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey, Part I, I [Uniform ed., p. 14]:

     Had he acted discourteously to his bedmaker or his gyp, he would have minded just as much … .

   Coordinate terms: porter, bedder, scout

2. (Cambridge University, Durham University) The room in which such college servants work.
3. (Cambridge University, Durham University) A small kitchen for use by college students.

Etymology 3

Shortening.

Noun

gyp (plural gyps)

1. Gypsophila.

Etymology 4

Perhaps from gee up.

Noun

gyp (plural gyps)

1. Pain or discomfort.

   My back's giving me gyp.

See also

• jew down
• welsh

References

• Gyp: Thieve, World Wide Words
• Etymology of "Gyp" / "gypped", Vocaboly.com