lazy Susan (noun)
a rotating tray placed on a table; as it goes round, the food passes by each seat at the table, so that convenient self-service is possible
They served their food on a lazy Susan.
(Submitted by: Bubble from Germany on 08/05/2011)
OK, so this is not a new word. But it’s weird, isn’t it? It’s a bit … hmmm.
So I thought it would be a good one to haul over from the Open Dictionary archives for inspection, as we’ve been talking about political correctness. … and how mad it’s got. And so in a spirit of PC-type enquiry one is called to ask: why Susan? Surely this word is offensive to Susans everywhere? Unless they are in fact lazy, but as we have seen that does not come into it when making this sort of judgement call. And, furthermore, if it must be Susan, is it not someone’s duty to suggest a more acceptable word for ‘lazy’? Something like, ‘unincentivized Susan’ or, better, ‘energetically-challenged Susan’? Yes, I think that will do nicely.
Do feel free to submit your own word to the Open Dictionary, you never know, it might end up over here … with me saying silly things about it.
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My wife insists on calling ours a ‘Lady Susan’ as it portrays a lady of leisure.