THE BUTLER DID IT!

A famous phrase, the butler did it! Usually associated with a murder mystery. Butler’s are British icons, but what is a butler and what do they do?

A butler is a household servant, usually at the head of a large staff of residential workers. In the past, houses of great wealth would designate one butler to each major department of the house. There may have been, for examples, butlers for the stables and carriages as well as butlers to oversee the kitchen and wine cellar. In this type of arrangement, a housekeeper would oversee the staff of butlers. In fact, housekeepers were so central to the staff of a household that they often made recommendations for the hiring of butlers. Just as every household is run in a distinctive way, so as to best serve the needs of the residents, so the tasks assigned to every butler vary.

The word butler is a derivation of the Old French bouteillier which means “cup bearer.” The root word bouteille means “bottle.” It is clear, by the history of the word, that the original butlers were individuals whose main purpose was to serve wine at meal time. It is believed that wine was a great sign of wealth in ancient times. In fact, wine may have been a way of holding assets. Therefore, the position of a bouteillier was likely a very esteemed position, much like the position of a butler.

A major distinguishing factor for a butler is his attire. A senior butler, for example, would wear a special uniform. His garb would look nothing like that of a livery man or a junior servant. While this is true for a butler in the traditional sense, a modern day butler may simply wear either a business suit or business casual attire. This, of course, is always left to the discretion of the butler’s employer.

It has been known for a butler to become somewhat famous for his abilities within a household.

Source www.wisegeek.com