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by Dogzilla9863 on June 13th, 2006

Dogzilla9863

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Where did the phrase "Lazy Susan" come from?

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  • by MyKinKStar on June 13th, 2006

    MyKinKStar

    This from Wikipedia.org:

    The lazy Susan is a turntable placed on top of a table, or counter tops, to aid in moving food. It comes in many sizes and shapes, though usually is round, and is made of glass, wood, or plastic.

    Thomas Jefferson is often attributed as the inventor of the lazy Susan in the 1700s. The term "lazy Susan" actually made its first written appearance in a Vanity Fair advertisement for a "Revolving Server or Lazy Susan" in 1917. Prior to that time they were called dumbwaiters.

    It is unknown where the term "lazy Susan" came from exactly, but it is highly unlikely to be a reference to an actual person. Some suggest it was common for female servants to be named "Susan" making the name synonymous for a servant, with "lazy" referring to the spinning table not going anywhere. More likely it came from a manufacturer as part of a marketing ploy, with the common name "Susan" used in the same sense that "Tom" is used in "peeping Tom" or "John" in "John Q. Public".

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