| What IS a waitress?? | |
What is a waitress, anyway? A person who serves others? More specifically, a woman who serves? A woman who delivers foods to the tables of a restaurant's customers? Let's see what others think a waitress is: |
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The online Oxford English Dictionary, gives several definitions, the first being: 1. A waiting-maid, handmaid. the second: 2. a. A woman who waits upon the guests at a hotel, restaurant, etc. Also one hired for a similar purpose on special occasions to supplement the staff of a private household. |
Unfortunately, sometimes I really did feel like a maid. Part of my duties as a waitress at the "Restaurant" included cleaning the bathrooms, doing dishes, and mopping floors. Yes, I suppose it is a very lowly job, but I never wanted to regard myself or my coworkers as a maid. Our job was supposed to have an element of class and respect. But I'll admit, it very rarely was like that. |
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| I relate to the first definition in my experience as a waitress. However, it is unfortunate that a waitress is first assumed to be an "ass-kisser" in order to pay her bills. Can we not have any honor in our work? It is frustrating receiving so little respect when the job requires so much work, concentration, strength and determination. Further, I find the second definition utterly offensive. A waitress is not a prostitute, and while I am not wagging my finger at these women, should not be confused as one. When a waitress is seen as a sexual object, something is off with the social order. The women I worked with were not prostitutes, but hard working women who fought to make ends meet every day. | The crude, but heavily used Urban Dictionary defines a waitress as the following: 1. a person who isn't paid enough to kiss the ass of some bastard who has had a bad day at the office and needs to take it out on someone. 2. Someone who brings food to a fat bastard who is perving on her and then gets tipped but only if she sleeps with the customer.
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The Webster online Dictionary puts it this way: 1. a woman waiter But more interestingly enough, and quite offensively, synonyms are included as: - bunny, bunny girl.
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Upon research, I found that "bunny girl" refers to the women who work at Play Boy houses, equipped with the little leotard satin suit, fluffy tail, neck tie, ears, you get the idea. This is definitely, without a doubt, not a synonym for the type of waitress I was nor the type of women I worked with. It is misjudgments and stereotypes like these that make us sexual objects of desire for men. |