In England, a whip around is an ad hoc, usually impromptu collection of money, usually to help someone in need.

This appears to be a variation on the older slang term whip, originally used in this sense in military mess halls in the mid-1800, when a group wanting to by more alcohol would "stand a whip", passing around a cup into which those wanting more wine would drop a coin. This appears to come from the use of whip to mean someone who maintains consensus in a political party.

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