Talk:waitron

Etymology

This etymology was added by User:Bluewhim, who's still looking for documentary evidence that we can use:

First used in the 1980s at the restaurant Jo Federico's in Eugene, Oregon. JD Beltran, a young waitress working there at the time (and the only female waitstaff), had tired of introducing herself as a waitress and wanted to use a gender-neutral term. One night, she asked fellow waitstaff (including Jerry Seljan, who a decade later purchased the restaurant) to begin introducing themselves with, "Hello, I'm ___ and I'll be your waitron tonight." The term quickly took off in Eugene, as a year later while dining at a nearby restaurant, the person serving her introduced himself as her waitron. Several years later, the term also was introduced in a Time Magazine article on new words. In 2003, it was included in the title of a New York Times book review by Michi Kakutani, "BOOKS OF THE TIMES; Why Your Waitron Can Serve Brunch but Not Linner."

Equinox ◑ 00:09, 27 January 2013 (UTC)

Well, the first sentence is inaccurate, since I've found a cite from 1974. ~ Röbin Liönheart (talk) 03:10, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

Not necessarily inaccurate; Parker in 1974 was coining the term, but it can hardly be said she used it in that article. (That is, used it to refer to an actual waitperson.) Perhaps Beltran coined it independently, or picked it up from Parker (somehow), but she could still be the first person to have used it in its intended sense. LtPowers (talk) 11:55, 21 April 2014 (UTC)

Etymology, redux

See also RFV discussion which is soon to be archived to Talk:-tron. - -sche (discuss) 07:35, 28 July 2018 (UTC)

[Late 20th century. Blend of waiter or waitress and automaton, suggesting mechanical repetitive work] --Backinstadiums (talk) 19:15, 6 August 2021 (UTC)