maid

[beachboy]

What´s a daily wage maid?

 

[Nightmare85]

**Neither a teacher nor a native speaker.**

Let me guess:
A maid (=a girl who cleans up your rooms) who gets paid daily.
Let's say X dollars each day.

Cheers!

 

[BobK]

That'd be my guess too. But wait for a US view. I know that in the expression 'meter maid' (a female parking attendant - I don't think they have male ones over there :? the 'maid' doesn't mean 'domestic servant'.

b

PS This is totally irrelevant, but in another thread I just used the term 'hand-made'. This adjective, stressed on the second word, is not related at all to the noun 'handmaid' (stressed on the first syllable).

 

[beachboy]

But does she work for different families each day? How often does she usually show up in the same house? Does she usually do the cleaning, cooking and ironing?

 

[Tullia]

Hmmm. I know the phrase "wage slave" but not "wage maid" but is it possible that the latter could be a version of the former?


Is there some context for the phrase, please?

 

[Nightmare85]

@BobK:
But why should hand-made be related to handmaid? :-o

@beachboy:
I think she does the same as a "normal" maid.
Hmm I guess you had better ask - do you want to hire one?!
Cheers!

 

[beachboy]

Actually, I´m looking for a word in English for our "diarista", who happens to be a maid that works for different families each day, shows up in houses once a week or every fortnight, and does the cooking, cleaning and ironing.

 

[Barb_D]

I am guessing that a woman in business for herself working as a housekeeper would charge somewhere between $20 and $40 an hour for her services. I don't know for sure - I can't afford one!

 

[beachboy]

Maybe "weekly maid", if she shows up once a week, will do...

 

[Barb_D]

I think "housekeeper" might be better?

Our weekly housekeeper is coming tomorrow so I have to pick up my clutter.

I can imagine saying that.

 

[BobK]

@BobK:
But why should hand-made be related to handmaid? :-o

...

You and I know it's not, but some people might be interested (even surprised) to know about the change in stress that goes with the change in spelling.

b

 

[BobK]

Actually, I´m looking for a word in English for our "diarista", who happens to be a maid that works for different families each day, shows up in houses once a week or every fortnight, and does the cooking, cleaning and ironing.

A while ago we (well, I wasn't born yet - this was in the early 20th century) had the noun 'daily', or 'woman who does'. I have a feeling that this latter may have been related to a charwoman [there's another old word] - 'Mrs Mopp' - who kept appearing in sketches in It's That Man Again - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia saying 'Can I do you now, sir?' - but that's just a guess.

b