Mae West

noun

1. an inflatable yellow or orange life jacket for emergency use, especially by sailors or by airplane pilots in flights over water.

mae west

/ meɪ /

noun

1. slang,  an inflatable life jacket, esp as issued to the US armed forces for emergency use

West, Mae

1. A twentieth-century American actress. Mae West was a blonde, busty sex symbol, whose seductiveness was usually very funny because she overstated it so greatly. The popular version of her most celebrated line is, “Why don'cha come up and see me sometime?” She appeared memorably opposite W. C. Fields in My Little Chickadee.

Word History and Origins

Origin of West, Mae¹

1935–40; after Mae West, full-bosomed U.S. comic actress

Word History and Origins

Origin of West, Mae¹

C20: after Mae West, 1892–1980, American actress, renowned for her generous bust

Related Words

• life preserver 
• life vest