Monday, June 22, 2009

Butler vs Valet

Butler: A butler is the head servant, usually in charge of the kitchen and the dining room. Butler shares its etymology with bottle (as in wine bottle one suspects).

Valet: A valet is a personal servant, traditional responsible for a gentlemen and his dress. Today a valet might be any personal servant, as in valet parking. Valet is etymologically relate to vassal.

Butler: food, servants.
Valet: clothes, gentlemen.
'Jeeves was Bertie Wooster's gentleman's personal gentleman,' said Richard at his most pompous, straying dangerously where angels might fear to tread. 'A valet, not a butler.'
'But Bertie said Jeeves could buttle with the best of them.'

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