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Deaki Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary
'dumbwaiter', Does it have something to do with 'dumb' and 'waiter'?
In a dictionary, it says
dumbwaiter : A small elevator used to convey food or other goods from one floor of a building to another
So I have learned what the word means but still curious about its origin.
Does it have something to do with the word 'dumb' and 'waiter' respectively?
Thanks.
dumbwaiter : A small elevator used to convey food or other goods from one floor of a building to another
So I have learned what the word means but still curious about its origin.
Does it have something to do with the word 'dumb' and 'waiter' respectively?
Thanks.
Top answer
A waiter which doesn't have a mind (thus dumb), because it's a machine
- A waiter which doesn't have a mind (thus dumb), because it's a machine
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6 Answers
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A waiter which doesn't have a mind (thus dumb), because it's a machine
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Marius HancuA waiter which doesn't have a mind (thus dumb), because it's a machineIt's no longer P-C, but 'dumb' used to be used to refer to a person who is mute. I've always assumed that's where it came from. ????
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"Dumb" also has connotations of "stupidity".
In English (not American) a "dumb waiter" is a LIFT to bring food up from the kitchen.
In English (not American) an "elevator" is a moving staircase.
In English (not American) a "dumb waiter" is a LIFT to bring food up from the kitchen.
In English (not American) an "elevator" is a moving staircase.
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Isn't that an escalator? If it goes up or down, it's an escalator (AmE). If it just goes horizontally, it's an automated walkway.
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