Busser

For similar surnames, see Büsser.
"Busboy" redirects here. For other uses, see Busboy (disambiguation).

In North America, a busser, sometimes known as a busboy or busgirl, is a person in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, refilling and otherwise assisting the waiting staff.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Speakers of British English may be unfamiliar with the terms, which are translated in British English as commis waiter, commis boy, or waiter's assistant.[7][9][10][11] The term for a busser in the classic brigade de cuisine system is commis de débarrasseur, or simply débarrasseur.[12][13] Bussers are typically placed beneath the waiting staff in organization charts, and are sometimes an apprentice or trainee to waiting staff positions.[12]

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the occupation typically did not require related work experience or a high school diploma, that on-the-job training was short term, and that the median income in 2012 for the position was $18,500.[14]

The duties of bussers fall under the heading of busing or bussing, an Americanism of unknown origin.[13]

It has been claimed[15] that the term originated in America as 'omnibus boy', a boy employed to do everything ('omni-') in a restaurant including setting and clearing tables, filling glasses, taking used dishes to the kitchen, etc.

  1. ^ (2004.) "Busboy". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, via Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
  2. ^ "Busgirl". Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1), Random House, Inc., via Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
  3. ^ Schmich, Mary (August 24, 2007). "Uh, no offense, but do you still say 'busboy'?". ChicagoTribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  4. ^ "Busser: Definition of Busser in Oxford Dictionary (American English) (US)". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014. busser; Syllabification: bus·ser; Pronunciation: /ˈbəsər/; Noun; A person who clears tables in a restaurant or cafeteria.
  5. ^ "Busser - definition. American English definition of busser by Macmillan Dictionary". Macmillan Dictionary. Macmillan Publishers Limited. Retrieved June 10, 2014. busser - definition; Noun [countable] American /ˈbʌsər/; a busboy
  6. ^ Medlik, S. (2012). Dictionary of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality. Routledge. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-136-41018-5. busboy/busgirl/busser American term for assistant waiter or waitress, who pours water, clears away plates and cutlery but does not take orders or serve the food.
  7. ^ a b Матюшенков, Владимир (2013). Dictionary of Americanisms, Canadianisms, Briticisms and Australianisms. Англо-русский словарь особенностей английского языка в Северной Америке, Великобритании и Австралии (in English and Russian). ЛитРес. p. 85. ISBN 978-5-457-47832-9. bus boy, bus girl, busser Am., Can. /Br. commis waiter/
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference onet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Davies, Christopher (2007). Divided by a Common Language: A Guide to British and American English. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-547-35028-8. Words such as clapboard, bleachers, and busboy are everyday words in the US, but they would perplex the average speaker of British English.
  10. ^ Davies, Christopher (1998). Divided by a Common Language: A British/American Dictionary Plus. Mayflower Press. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-9660945-7-2. Busboy/Busser, Waiter's assistant/Commis Waiter
  11. ^ Rubinstein, Marv (2011). American English Compendium. Taylor Trade Publications. p. 229. ISBN 978-1-58979-726-0. British, U.S. ... commis boy, busboy
  12. ^ a b The Culinary Institute of America (2009). Remarkable Service: A Guide to Winning and Keeping Customers for Servers, Managers, and Restaurant Owners. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-0-470-19740-0.
  13. ^ a b Wilson, Kenneth G. (1993). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Columbia University Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-231-06989-2. A bus boy or busboy assists the waiter or waitress in a restaurant; he clears dishes (he buses or busses them), and all of his duties come under the heading of busing or bussing. The origin of this Americanism is uncertain.
  14. ^ "Employment Projections". United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved June 12, 2014. Occupation data is listed under "Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers" (job titles are hidden by default).
  15. ^ Merriam-Webster, Incorporated (2017). "Busboy". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved February 7, 2017.