• sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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    2 days ago

    We also use waiter/waitress, maître d’, and sometimes steward/stewardess (esp. on airplanes). There’s technically a difference:

    • waiter/waitress - brings food
    • server - person the customer interacts with (i.e. takes orders)
    • maître d’ (hotel) - head of wait staff
    • steward/stewardess - serving customers is usually a secondary duty

    I think “server” has become more popular because it’s gender neutral, but “waiter/waitress” is still quite common and most don’t make the distinction between the two.

    I personally like the overlap between computer server and restaurant server because both exist to provide things upon request. The term “wait” that “waiter” comes from is pretty archaic.