Boodle

As a bribe is called at the present time a form of bribery. This was already known from the Middle Ages, and it means also lubricate bribe (someone 's hand grease ). The word Smeergeld within the meaning of bribery is attested around 1700 in Low German. In Austria bribe is taxable.

Other significance

When the stagecoach the bribe was in 1812 a fixed fee of twelve cruisers, which had to pay each passenger. If you do not smeared the axles regularly, the wheels ate fixed and there was no progress. The maintenance had to be performed at each post station. But the fee was due. The postilion also received a fixed set tip. He could not be stopped by bribery to faster driving, because he had to meet his schedule. Postilions and post holders were not in the service of individual travelers, but were state officials, which would have been punished for corruption.