- ticket (n.) - 1520s, "short note or document," from a
shortened form of Middle French etiquet "label, note," from Old
French estiquette "a little note" (late 14c.), especially one
affixed to a gate or wall as a public notice, from estiquer "to
affix, stick on, attach," from Frankish *stikkan, cognate with
Old English stician "to pierce" (see stick (v.)). Meaning "card
or piece of paper that gives its holder a right or privilege" is
first recorded 1670s, probably developing from the sense of
"certificate, license, permit." The political sense of "list of
candidates put forward by a faction" has been used in American
English since 1711. Meaning "official notification of offense"
is from 1930; parking ticket first attested 1947. Big ticket
item is from 1970. Slang the ticket "just the thing, what is
expected" is recorded from 1838, perhaps with notion of a
winning lottery ticket. - ticket (v.) - 1610s, from ticket (n.).
Related: Ticketed; ticketing.