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How did the "Lazy Susan" come to be used for the rotating tray?

Revolving serving trays have been around since the 1700s, where they were often tiered and called "dumbwaiters." Dumbwaiters were so called because they quietly took the place of an actual servant in the dining room, hence "dumb". As time went on, dumbwaiters more commonly referred to small elevators used to carry food and dishes from one level in a building to another. Precisely what caused the change from "dumbwaiter" serving trays to "lazy susan" serving trays is not certain. One theory suggests that servants were often named Susan, so that "Susan" came to be almost a synonym for "servant," and the "lazy Susan" was essentially a servant who never had to go anywhere and could perform serving tasks from one location.

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