[Vocabulary] tap for membership

[constantinusphilo]

I am not sure I understand it:
He was even so charming that Ivy tapped him for membership in the spring of his sophomore
year.
The Rule of Four, Ian Caldwell, Dustin Thomason
Does it mean that he was chosen to become a member?

 

[emsr2d2]

I am not sure I understand [STRIKE]it[/STRIKE] the bold part below.

He was even so charming that Ivy tapped him for membership in the spring of his sophomore year.

The Rule of Four, Ian Caldwell, Dustin Thomason

Does it mean that he was chosen to become a member?

Sort of. Here, I think it means she encouraged him to become a member, or even that she managed to convince him to hand over a membership fee. In BrE, we say things like "She tapped him up for a loan", which means "She talked him into lending her some money".

 

[Skrej]

In AmE, it means something like 'nominate' or 'select'. Since the authors are both from the US, it stands to reason that's what it means.

See transitive verb entry #5.

 

[Tdol]

In the UK, if you tap someone, you check them out to see if they would be interested, without making the actual offer.

 

[Skrej]

You'll frequently see it used in headlines in regards to someone in a leadership position (like a president or governor) announcing their choice for such and such position.

Google something like 'governor taps' or 'president taps' and you'll see plenty of headline examples, although of course some refer to other definitions of 'tap'.

You might get more relevant results by inserting the name of a particular leader ( e.g. 'Biden taps', 'Netanyahu taps', Putin taps).

In the US, certain positions at both the state and federal levels require senate confirmation, so even though a president or governor "taps" them, it doesn't automatically mean they'll get the job.