Baksheesh's a term used to describe tipping, charitable giving, and certain forms of political corruption and bribery in the Middle East and South Asia. Origins Baksheesh's a Persian word, written and originating from the Pahlavi (Middle Iranian) language (source: Dehkhoda dictionary). Types of baksheesh Charity to beggars. In Pakistan beggars solicit alms by crying 'baksheesh, baba!'. Tipping. This doesn't correlate with the European system of tipping, as it also includes demonstrations of… (More on Backshish)