Butler

views updated May 14 2018

93. Butler (See also Servant.)

  1. Balderstone, Caleb archetypal faithful servant of the Ravens-woods. [Br. Lit.: Bride of Lammermoor ]
  2. Bunter Lord Peter Wimseys foil and jack-of-all-trades. [Br. Lit.: The Nine Tailors ]
  3. Crichton resourceful servant proves more than equal to his employers when household is marooned. [Br. Lit.: The Admirable Crichton ]
  4. Davy Justice Shallows varlet; assumes identity of master. [Br. Lit.: Henry IV]
  5. Face Lovewits house servant; connives to make profit by alchemy. [Br. Lit.: The Alchemist ]
  6. French, Mr. gentlemans gentleman for architect and motherless children. [TV: Family Affair in Terrace, I, 254]
  7. Godfrey when the impecunious socialite is hired as a butler, he and his mistress fall in love. [Am. Cinema: My Man Godfrey in Halliwell]
  8. Hudson, Mr. nostalgic, punctilious master of downstairs. [Br. TV: Upstairs, Downstairs ]
  9. Jeeves manservant who frequently rescues his master. [Br. Lit.: novels of P. G. Wodehouse; Espy, 337]
  10. Lurch Addamss zombielike, extremely tall butler. [TV: The Addams Family in Terrace, I, 29]
  11. Passepartout bungling foil to the punctilious Fogg. [Fr. Lit.: Around the World in Eighty Days ]

butler

views updated May 14 2018

butler. The Norman office of chief butler did not develop into one of the great offices of state. The main duty was to supervise the coronation banquets, which were abandoned after the fiasco of 1821. In England the office was hereditary in the earls of Arundel and their successors the dukes of Norfolk. The chief butler of Ireland gave the name to the Butler family, earls and dukes of Ormond.

J. A. Cannon

butler

views updated May 29 2018

butler servant having charge of the wine-cellar. XIII. — AN. buteler, OF. bouteillier, f. bouteille BOTTLE; see -ER4.

butler

views updated Jun 27 2018

but·ler / ˈbətlər/ • n. the chief manservant of a house.

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