elevator-jockey

elevator-jockey

A hotel elevator-jockey operates the lift for guests.

Definition

Noun: An "elevator-jockey" is a slang or informal term for a person who operates an elevator, especially in a large building such as a hotel, office tower, or department store. The word combines "elevator" (a lifting device) with "jockey" (a person who operates or controls something, like a racehorse jockey), often implying a somewhat humorous or dismissive tone.

Usage Examples
  • (He operated the elevator for hotel guests.)
  • (A person manually controls the elevator.)
  • (A lighthearted reference to the role's social demands.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to be an elevator-jockey": to work as an elevator operator.
    • My grandfather was an elevator-jockey in the 1950s. (He operated an elevator as a job.)
  • "elevator-jockey duties": tasks associated with operating an elevator.
    • His elevator-jockey duties included opening and closing the doors and announcing floors. (Specific responsibilities of the role.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Elevator operator (n): a more formal term for the person who controls an elevator.
    • The elevator operator smiled at every passenger. (A professional term for the same job.)
  • Lift attendant (n): a British English synonym for elevator operator.
    • The lift attendant wore a uniform. (Equivalent term in UK usage.)
  • Elevator (n): the machine itself.
    • The elevator was out of order. (The device that carries people between floors.)
Synonyms
  • Elevator attendant: someone who assists passengers in an elevator.
  • Lift boy/girl (dated): a historical term for a young person operating an elevator.
    • The lift boy called out the floors. (An older, now less common synonym.)
Related Idioms
  • "press the right buttons": to do or say the right things to achieve a desired result (related to the buttons in an elevator).
    • As an elevator-jockey, he learned to press the right buttons for each passenger. (A literal and figurative use of the phrase.)
  • "going up, going down": a standard announcement made by an elevator-jockey.
    • The elevator-jockey chanted, "Going up, going down," as he worked. (A typical phrase associated with the job.)