# Does Anyone Still Have a Butler? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857 "2011-07-21T15:07:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/21 "2011-07-23T12:41:29Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Well, from what I hear, if you get into a car wreck with someone and don’t have insurance, you can be forced to become their butler. As I understand it, fewer people have butlers these days because not as many parents are naming their children \*\*“Jeeves” \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/22 "2011-07-23T13:28:54Z")
According to one report I heard on public radio, an honest-to-God Gentleman’s Gentleman is only cost-effective if you’re making over $10 million a year. This was about 15 years ago, so the baseline may have crept up some. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/23 "2011-07-23T13:33:27Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The proper term is _buttress._ > > 😉 But what if I want one on my private jet? What would I call her then? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/24 "2011-07-23T14:34:00Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > As I understand it, fewer people have butlers these days because not as many parents are naming their children \*\*“Jeeves” \*\* Nitpick: Jeeves wasn’t a butler, he was a valet. A butler manages a household stall, which may include several valets. ---
**Author:** ![RoeCocoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@RoeCocoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoeCocoa)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/25 "2011-07-23T15:53:39Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > But what if I want one on my private jet? What would I call her then? Her name. It’s only polite. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/26 "2011-07-23T20:50:46Z")
The band _Black Sabbath_ had a Butler. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/27 "2011-07-23T21:13:49Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > According to one report I heard on public radio, an honest-to-God Gentleman’s Gentleman is only cost-effective if you’re making over $10 million a year. This was about 15 years ago, so the baseline may have crept up some. That seems silly, if you travel any amount you need to leave someone in charge of the house, which includes accessing some sort of bank account for utilities, supplies, repairs, salaries and emergencies. A butler/major domo is the perfect person for this. Look at it this way - major domo, housekeeper, yard boy/gardener/handyman [no idea what you would like to call the guy my grandfather called his handyman who took care of anything outside, and did light repairs in the house] and cook. The major domo essentially organizes the household, deals with anything that comes up. The housekeeper cleans everything except the kitchen, maintains the linens and wardrobe left at that house. The cook runs the kitchen and feeds the staff, and cooks for the family when they are there, and arranges for parties with the help of the major domo who would be in charge of hiring waters and other service staff and supplies for the party. The handyman takes care of the yard, pool, gardens and does light repairs in the house like repainting walls, repairing assorted damages that might be light plumbing, moving furniture for the housekeeper if she does a heavy cleaning. And it doesn’t really need more than 2.5 million a year income to want a house big enough to need a staff, heck if I had my old family house [7 bedroom, 3.5 bath, library formal living room, informal living room, dining room, kitchen with butlers pantry and servant dining nook and a ‘morning room’ which was used for clothing fittings and the dressmaker to work in] it used to have a staff that size. [the old servants quarters were gutted and turned into 2 of the 7 bedrooms] That house was on the market for a slim $260 000 as of last summer … [it stands on almost an acre and still has the old horse and carriage 4 stall barn with a 2 car garage added to it by my dad back in the early 50s.] That house can be supported by a lot less than 2.5 mil… in my moms defense, she did have 2 day maids that helped her and she got grandpa’s handyman to do the outside stuff… ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/28 "2011-07-23T23:27:23Z")
With the collapse of the middle class and the increased wealth of the top 10% I see this as a potential growth industry in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/29 "2011-07-24T00:11:29Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > The band _Black Sabbath_ had a Butler. Nah, he was just some geezer they kept out on the terence. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/30 "2011-07-24T05:47:21Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Nitpick: Jeeves wasn’t a butler, he was a valet. A butler manages a household stall, which may include several valets. Although, when push came to shove, Jeeves could buttle with the best of them. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/31 "2011-07-24T11:26:42Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Or have they all been replaced by “personal assistants”? Totally different jobs. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/32 "2011-07-24T12:40:22Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Glad to see that the old ways and manners have not been completely lost. why is this a “good” thing? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/33 "2011-07-24T12:42:52Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > why is this a “good” thing? Seriously, have you seen the riff raff which knock on ones front door! Trying to rub shoulders with ones betters! Its almost as if they actually believe this “equality” thiing. “woosh” ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/34 "2011-07-24T12:50:48Z")
: waves hand : My dogs do. Although my roommate usually refers to me as “The House Bitch”😃 ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/35 "2011-07-24T16:18:46Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > That seems silly, if you travel any amount you need to leave someone in charge of the house, which includes accessing some sort of bank account for utilities, supplies, repairs, salaries and emergencies. . Many people call that person a “wife”. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/36 "2011-07-24T16:56:34Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Seriously, have you seen the riff raff which knock on ones front door! Trying to rub shoulders with ones betters! Its almost as if they actually believe this “equality” thiing. > > “woosh” I know just what you mean **AK84**! Personally I still go peasant shooting . And after they’ve been hung for a couple of days they make a very nice supper washed down with a single malt scotch. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/37 "2011-07-24T20:24:05Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Many people call that person a “wife”. You can fire a butler and not worry about him taking half your stuff or forcing you to keep paying his salary until he finds a new job. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/38 "2011-07-24T20:35:39Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > As I understand it, fewer people have butlers these days because not as many parents are naming their children \*\*“Jeeves” \*\* Jeeves was his last name. His given name was Reginald. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/39 "2011-07-24T20:40:27Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Although, when push came to shove, Jeeves could buttle with the best of them. And Jeeves was his surname: Reginald Jeeves. So if parents wanted their kid to have a “butler” name, they’d have to name him “Reginald.” ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857/40 "2011-07-24T23:05:15Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Many people call that person a “wife”. So either Rob gets to travel the world and have fun and I stay home and run the house, or he stays home and I get to travel … not =) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-have-a-butler/589857.md?page=3)