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> It took me ages to realise that butlers aren’t naturally villainous, but rather were expected to take the fall for any malfeasance committed by the family. I
by dyingkneepad 6y ago
> It took me ages to realise that butlers aren’t naturally villainous, but rather were expected to take the fall for any malfeasance committed by the family.
I just realized that in Oct 28th, 2020. Thanks for that.
- coldtea 6y agoThis might or might not be true, but it's not the origin of "the butler did it". The origin of the phrase is in the classical detective story trope.
- dragonwriter 6y ago> The origin of the phrase is in the classical detective story trope. Which, if I'm not mistaken, itself doesn't derive from household staff taking the fall for their employers, but from them being omnipresent but, by strong social custom, ignored.
- coldtea 6y agoYeah, I'm fairly sure that's the case. So while checking the motives of the high society suspects, nobody would suspect the lowly butler -- which, in another trope, had some dark past related to the family he was employeed at...