Zephyrette

See also: zephyrette

English

WOTD – 22 March 2020

Etymology

A Zephyrette (sense 1) dressed in a blue uniform attending to passengers in 1967.

The California Zephyr travelling through Feather Canyon, California, USA, as shown in an advertisement in 1949, the year that the train came into service.

From zephyr (“light wind from the west”) +‎ -ette (suffix forming nouns meaning the female equivalent of something). Zephyr is derived from Latin zephyrus, Zephyrus (“personification of the west wind”), from Ancient Greek Ζέφῠρος (Zéphuros, “personification of the west wind”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃yebʰ- (“to enter, penetrate; to copulate”). Sense 1 (“on-board hostess”) is derived from the California Zephyr train.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˌzɛfəˈɹɛt/, /ˈzɛfə(ˌ)ɹɛt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

  • Audio (Southern England)

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• Rhymes: -ɛt
• Hyphenation: Ze‧phyr‧ette

Noun

Zephyrette (plural Zephyrettes)

1. (historical) An on-board hostess on the California Zephyr train, which originally operated between 1949 and 1970.
   • 1952, David L. Paden, Problems and Economics of Dining Car Service (unpublished M.B.A. dissertation), Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University, →OCLC, page 163:

     The Zephyrette then takes the reservations of the Pullman passengers.

   • 1995, Henry Kisor, Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America, New York, N.Y.: Times Books/Random House, →ISBN; republished Holbrook, Mass.: Adams Publishing Group, 1995, →ISBN, page 18:

     A good part of the train's personality lay in the Zephyrette, an on-board factotum who, like an airline stewardess, was a mix of hostess, paramedic, tour guide, secretary, nanny, security guard, purser, public relations agent and ombudswoman.

   • 1997, Mike Schafer, Joe Welsh, “Triumvirate Triumph: The California Zephyr”, in Classic American Streamliners, Oscola, Wis.: MBI Publishing Company, →ISBN, image caption, page 68:

     Zephyrettes were a fixture on the CZ right to the last day of service on March 22, 1970.

   • 2009 October 6, Sean Phelan, Coming of Age, Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 246:

     "Zephyr and Ezekiel, huh?" Tommy had the courage to ask, shaking their hands. The two wooly-headed, intellectual-looking twins laughed. "Well, our dad's name was Zechariah and our mom worked as a Zephyrette on the California Zephyr passenger train," Ezekiel explained. "So I guess you could say they liked the letter z."

2. A lightweight print fabric used for women's dresses.
   • 1908 June, “The Prize Dress [advertisement]”, in James M. Irvine, editor, The Fruit-grower: An Illustrated Monthly Magazine for Progressive American Farmers, volume 19, number 6, St. Joseph, Mo.: The Fruit-grower, →OCLC, page 22 (yearly page 266), column 2:

     I'm going to select one of those beautiful fast-color Zephyrette patterns for my 'prize' dress.

   • 1921 February 5, “McCutcheon’s Smart New Fabrics for Spring and Summer Frocks [advertisement]”, in Hamilton Holt, editor, The Independent, volume 105, number 3757, New York, N.Y.: Independent Corporation, […], →OCLC, page 147:

     McCutcheon's Stocks of Ginghams, Linens, Shirtings, Novelty Voiles, Zephyrette, Japanese Crepes, and White materials are always abundant and varied.

   • 1953, “Plastic Raincoat”, in Industrial Sports, volume 14, Chicago, Ill.: Allegheny Pub. Co., →OCLC, page 6, column 2:

     United States Rubber Co. has introduced a lightweight plastic Zephyrette raincoat for women, girls and children.

Translations

on-board hostess on the California Zephyr train

lightweight print fabric used for women's dresses

Further reading

• Zephyrette on Wikipedia.Wikipedia