check girl
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A female employee whose primary duty is to verify, record, or manage items, typically in a service context such as a coatroom, a hat-check service, or sometimes in retail. The term specifically denotes a woman or girl performing this checking function.
Usage
The term is used to identify a woman in the specific occupational role of a checker. It is a compound noun where "check" refers to the act of verifying or taking temporary custody of items, and "girl" specifies the gender of the employee. Its usage is now dated and can be considered informal or old-fashioned.
Examples
- Noun:
- She worked as a check girl at the elegant nightclub, taking coats from the patrons.
- The theater employed a check girl to manage the umbrellas and hats during the rainy season.
Advanced Usage
- The term is largely historical. In modern contexts, gender-neutral terms like "coatroom attendant," "checkroom attendant," or simply "checker" are preferred.
- It often evokes a specific mid-20th-century setting, such as upscale restaurants, theaters, or dance halls.
Variants and Related Words
- Checker (noun): A person who checks items or facts. This is the gender-neutral root term.
- Hat-check girl (noun): A more specific variant referring to a female attendant who checks hats and coats.
- Coat-check attendant (noun): A modern, gender-neutral term for the same role.
Synonyms
- Coatroom attendant
- Hat-check attendant
- Cloakroom attendant
Notes on Usage
- The term "check girl" is a compound noun. The core meaning is carried by the combination of both words. It is not typically used in an idiomatic or figurative sense.
- As a compound, it does not form standard phrasal verbs. The word "check" alone has many phrasal verbs (e.g., check in, check out), but these are separate from the occupational title "check girl."
Noun
- a female checker