A young man or boy employed in a theater to summon actors when they need to go on stage; historically, a bellhop or similar messenger.
From 'call' (to summon) and 'boy' (a young male). Theater terminology from the 19th and early 20th centuries that reflected the hierarchical structure of theater production with young workers handling specific tasks.
Every time a play happens, the callboy's job matters more than people realize—if the callboy messes up and forgets to tell an actor it's their turn, the whole show falls apart.
Callboy traditionally designated a junior male worker (theater, maritime). The gendered term reflected male-dominated industries; 'callgirl' later emerged as a parallel term for female sex workers, showing how profession names acquired gendered and demeaning associations.
Use 'call assistant' or 'stagehand' to denote role rather than gender/age. In maritime contexts, 'deck hand' or 'crew assistant' are gender-neutral alternatives.
["call assistant","stagehand","crew member","production assistant"]
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