# When I say the word "server"... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 15, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682 "2017-05-15T20:17:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/21 "2017-05-16T15:42:02Z")
My butlers and paiges. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/22 "2017-05-16T16:34:37Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > You know sometimes words have two meanings. [From hactrn.net](https://www.hactrn.net/sra/gateway-to-net-ten.txt): ```auto GATEWAY TO NET TEN -- Mark Lottor [Original words and music by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant] There's a hacker who's sure all that's coax is fast and he's buying a gateway to net ten. When he gets it he'll know if the ports are all closed with a SYN he can get what he sent for. Ooh ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh and he's buying a gateway to net ten. There's an RFC on the wall but he wants to be sure cause you know sometimes words have two meanings. In a note on the page there's a warning that says sometimes all of our code is broken. [...snip...] ``` Yes, a server is a computer (or, well, a process running on a computer) to me as well. I’ve written servers, and I don’t mean I became pen-pals with waitrons. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/23 "2017-05-16T18:36:38Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > With no context at all: machine. I’m thinking of Rosie the Robot. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/24 "2017-05-17T02:51:32Z")
Waitress/waiter. I try to avoid thinking about computers as much as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/25 "2017-05-17T02:54:16Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > …what’s the first thing you think of? > > A waiter/waitress? > > A computer? Pied Piper ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/26 "2017-05-17T02:59:09Z")
A computer. If anything, the confusion in my mind was over whether it was a physical host computer, or a logical software “server” process. I still think of wait staff as a “waiter” or “waitress”, who often introduce themselves as “I’ll be serving you tonight”; the construct “I’ll be your server tonight” sounds odd to my ear. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/27 "2017-05-17T11:25:44Z")
I said computer. Twenty years ago, I’d have said waiter. I’m surprised the first response isn’t Hillary. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/28 "2017-05-17T13:05:44Z")
I’m a programmer, so computer of course. I don’t really think of “server = waitress” anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/29 "2017-05-17T13:35:32Z")
Computer was the first thing that popped in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/30 "2017-05-17T21:42:10Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > They can call themselves servers all they want, but it’s not the first word I associate with them. It is, however, the first (and likely only) word I can think of for the computing concept. Pretty much what I was going to type, other than to add that the volleyball/tennis sense also entered my mind before I opened the thread. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/31 "2017-05-17T22:03:47Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > It’s not brand new, but it’s part of the gender neutral language push. Like using flight attendant instead of steward or stewardess. > > I work for a restaurant chain, so I thought waitperson first. > > Server sounds much better than waitperson. Or waitron, for that matter. I always get an image of some 1960s vision of the future with the WAITRON 2000 robot serving you at the local diner when I hear or see that word. (Thankfully, I don’t see it all that often.) That said, it’s hard to remember, but it doesn’t feel like “server” is a particularly new word in regards to waiting tables. I’d guess somewhere in the 90s it became popular, along with “flight attendant” replacing “steward” and “stewardess,” although I have a feeling “flight attendant” gained common currency a little before “server.” As to the OP, I thought computers first. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/32 "2017-05-18T03:21:10Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Is “server” for waiter/waitress a new thing? I don’t remember it from the last time I was in the States. It was common where I worked in the early 90s. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/33 "2017-05-18T03:34:20Z")
Unless you tell me the server is down, my first thought is going to be a waiter/waitress. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/34 "2017-05-18T04:57:13Z")
I’m looking at a computer right now, which skews my answer. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682/35 "2017-05-18T06:59:39Z")
Presidential candidates never get flack for telling secrets to waitstaff. When I set up the Japanese branch office of a US company, I had to deal with the server. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-say-the-word-server/786682.md?page=1)