"bargaining chip"

[Stephen Goranson]

I have no big stake in the origin of the collocation, but I suggest that a
poker-related origin cannot, on evidence so far presented here, be excluded.
After all, it is at least used with "poker" today. Some of the 567 google hits
(for: "bargaining chip" poker)--including Merriam-Webster Dictionary--provide
cases. That's not proof of origin, but if speakers today are comfortable with
the association, earlier speakers at least may have been as well. Also, the
words "up the ante" are, after all, not always, I think, used strictly in
reference to the ante per se. As the term origin has less to do with what we
might think suitable than what happened, I'm open to facing the cards yet to
be dealt.

Stephen Goranson

Quoting "Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>:

>[....]
>         I think we're at a point where we can make a few observations about
> "bargaining chip":
>
>         1.      There is no connection with poker.  Poker is not a bargaining
> game, and few if any of the citations refer to or suggest poker in any way.
> {....]