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Byline: William Norwich

You are never too young to learn to tip properly, just in time for the holidays. Of course, last Christmas, when a certain hairdresser to the social stars received $50,000 from a devoted client, the sky became the limit, but perhaps the following guidelines will help.

Don't tip in police stations, courthouses, or U.S. Customs. Generally speaking, do not tip any owner of businesses you regularly patronize because in today's meritocracy, you are equals; but do, except in medical and law offices, tip the people who work there, even the chatty masseuse and especially the coat check (_generously-with global warming, she has much less business), as well as the service people who help you through the year, such as your newspaper carrier and the fellow who brings the dry cleaning. "How much to give depends on how much they deserve it-the better the service, the bigger the tip," said the 1969 edition of Vogue's Book of Etiquette and Good Manners, and this holds true today. For those you ...