between girl

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A female domestic servant who works in a subordinate position: "between girl" refers to a junior maid or assistant servant, typically in a large household, who performs tasks between the roles of a higher-ranking maid and a lower-ranking one.

Usage Examples

• (A junior maid with intermediate duties.)
• (A servant with mixed responsibilities.)

Advanced Usage

• "between girl" as a historical term: This term was used in 19th-century British domestic service to describe a maid who was "between" the roles of a scullery maid and a kitchen maid, or between a housemaid and a parlourmaid.
  • The between girl usually earned less than a senior maid but more than a scullery maid. (A rank-specific servant.)

Variants and Related Words

• Betweenmaid (n): a synonym for "between girl," a maid who works in an intermediate capacity.
  • The betweenmaid helped with both kitchen and household chores. (A servant with mixed duties.)

Synonyms

• Junior maid: a less experienced or lower-ranking female servant.
• Assistant maid: a servant who aids a more senior domestic worker.
• Tweeny (chiefly British, informal): a maid who is "between" the ranks of kitchen maid and housemaid.

Related Idioms

• Between a rock and a hard place: being in a difficult situation with no easy options (not directly related to "between girl" but sharing the word "between").
  • The between girl felt between a rock and a hard place when both the cook and the housekeeper gave her conflicting orders. (A challenging position.)