# 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: /d͡ʒɪp/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɪp

#### Noun

gyp (plural gyps)
* (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!
* 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
#### Verb

gyp (third-person singular simple present gyps, present participle gypping, simple past and past participle gypped)
* (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: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, →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)
* (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
* (Cambridge University, Durham University) The room in which such college servants work.
* (Cambridge University, Durham University) A small kitchen for use by college students.

### Etymology 3

Shortening.

#### Noun

gyp (plural gyps)
* Gypsophila.

### Etymology 4

Perhaps from gee up.

#### Noun

gyp (plural gyps)
* 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
* 1 2 3 Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “gyp”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
* ↑ http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/82874
* ↑ http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/archive-centre/archive-month/may-2010.html