"Bargaining Chip": Antedating & Mystery

[Douglas G. Wilson]

> > >What exactly is the metaphor?
> >
> > Interesting.  I also doubt it's poker; most poker metaphors (and
> > there are quite a bunch) are pretty transparent, and indeed poker
> > players don't actually bargain, much less use chips to do so.
>
>... Could there be a confusion with "chit"? Someone has something of value,
>represented by a chit, that can be negotiated away for another
>consideration.

The metaphor apparently involves some sort of token; whether it was ever
more specific, I don't know. I've encountered "bargaining chit" myself in
the same sense, and several instances of this are found on the Web, along
with occasional examples of "bargaining token" and "bargaining counter",
all in the same metaphoric sense.

The "chip" metaphor goes along with the "table" metaphor. One brings poker
chips to the poker table, roulette chips (I guess) to the roulette table,
etc.; what kind of chips can one bring to the bargaining table?

-- Doug Wilson