Urban legend…
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I thought so, especially since tipping is much less common in England/GB.
It turns out the Puzzler question about “Posh” also relies on an urban legend:
Is the Word ‘Posh’ a Shortening of ‘Port Out, Starboard Home’? | Snopes.com
I haven’t been able to verify this, but as someone with a graduate degree in philology (history of language) I am convinced that it was always a simple gratuity and was often used by the recipient to buy a drink (tipple, to drink alcoholic beverages, still in use but not common). I am convinced of this origin because a similar word exists for “tip” in various European languages: pourboire (Fr), trinkgeld (German), propina (Sp).
I have an issue with the linked article.
It seems to dismiss the potential for TIPS being an acronym for "To I(e)nsure Proper/prompt Service because it cannot affect the level of service after the fact:
Some maintain that a tip is not furnished ahead of time, so the above explication does not disprove the acronymic claim. In that case one once again has to wonder where the ‘insure’ part of the false etymologies comes from, since the act being recognized with a gratuity has already been carried out. The service was either good or it wasn’t; no gratuity, no matter how large, enables anyone to go back into time and ‘insure’ that whatever has already taken place will be satisfactory.
The point seemingly missed is that the prospect of a larger gratuity is what drives server performance before the gratuity is rendered.
Tips are most certainly adjusted based on the level of service received. At least by me 
There used to be a radio talk show host here that used the topic of “tipping” whenever his scheduled guest failed to show. Or if the guest was no good and had to be booted off the air mid-program. All he had to do was say “let’s talk about tipping” and the phones would start to ring … lol … seems there are many folks who otherwise don’t hold strong opinions on most subjects, but do on tipping.
Well sorry but I really don’t care how or why it came from. I tip just as a means to show appreciation. Restaurants sure and my barber. But I tipped the carpet layer and even the guy that took some trees down. No mechanic yet though.