Elevator boy

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Starhunter
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Tue May 01, 2012 9:17 pm
Starhunter says... · Tue May 01, 2012 9:17 pm
Hi!

Does anyone know what you call the guy who works the elevator for you, you know, back in the old days (or in really fancy places)?
I'm writing a short story set around the 1910s and I need to know... also, I'm calling them "lifts" so "elevator boy" doesn't work, and "lift boy" doesn't sound right.

Please help! Thanks!
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Twit
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Tue May 01, 2012 10:18 pm
Twit says... · Tue May 01, 2012 10:18 pm
Bellboy? Porter?
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Kale
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Wed May 02, 2012 7:16 pm
Kale says... · Wed May 02, 2012 7:16 pm
I think the term was lift operator?
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RacheDrache
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Thu May 03, 2012 12:29 am
RacheDrache says... · Thu May 03, 2012 12:29 am
Porter sounds right to me. It depends perhaps on whether this person was operating the lifts truly or more just there so rich and fancy folks didn't have to lift a finger. If the latter, porter definitely sounds right.

There's also the issue of whether this is American or British English here.
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Kale
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Thu May 03, 2012 1:06 am
Kale says... · Thu May 03, 2012 1:06 am
pre-1930 = manual elevator = operator needed

Also, found a wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_operator

If we're calling them lifts, it seems the correct term would be "liftman".
Secretly a Kyllorac, sometimes a Murtle.
There are no chickens in Hyrule.
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Starhunter
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Fri May 04, 2012 12:45 am
Starhunter says... · Fri May 04, 2012 12:45 am
Thanks! It's all really helpful!! :)
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