Chrysti The Wordsmith: Lazy Suzanne

Greetings and welcome to Christie the wordsmith. EP and AMS are words inspired by people's names. Saxophone for example is an eponym fashion from the name Antwan Yosef sax a Belgian instrument maker. The Doppler effect was named for Austrian scientist Christian Johann Doppler lazy susan. The name of the revolving serving tray fits this category of words. It too is an eponym but the identity of the slothful Susan for whom the device was named is a mystery. Now according to the Oxford English dictionary the term first appeared in print in a 1917 advertisement in Vanity Fair magazine that offered quote revolving servers or lazy susans. Some word watchers speculate that the American manufacturer of the tray invented this name with its attractive alliteration. The internal repetition of the z sound lazy susan but lexicographer Robert Hendricks an author of The Encyclopedia of word and phrase origins writes It said that the first use of the term dates back to about 75 years ago when the

device was named after some servant it replaced Susan. Being a common name for servants at the time or it may simply be a gentle jab at the hostess who doesn't want to be treated like a servant but who instead invites her guests to help themselves to the snacks she provides on the lazy susan. The revolving serving tray. Pick your favorite theory. CHRISTIE The wordsmith. Good Dave reports. CHRISTIE The wordsmith is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises a high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry Web dot com.