# Why "preparator", rather than "preparer"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-preparator-rather-than-preparer/914066>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 2, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-preparator-rather-than-preparer/914066 "2020-07-02T14:27:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-preparator-rather-than-preparer/914066/21 "2020-07-04T15:19:15Z")

</div>

I got that reference!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-preparator-rather-than-preparer/914066/22 "2020-07-05T16:24:56Z")

</div>

> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Because it means something different and more specific than “preparer.” A preparer could be preparing anything, maybe soup.

Yeah, because if someone commented that the fossils were dug up, encased in plaster, and sent to the preparer, I’d figure they were going to be maide into soup! 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [July 6, 2020, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-preparator-rather-than-preparer/914066/23 "2020-07-06T04:33:57Z")

</div>

We have refrigerators, [turbo-encabulators](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turboencabulator), and even the occasional Governator.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-preparator-rather-than-preparer/914066.md?page=1)