salesgirl

American  

[seylz-gurl] / ˈseɪlzˌgɜrl /

noun

1. a woman who sells goods, especially in a store; saleswoman.

---

Usage

What does salesgirl mean? Salesgirl was once commonly used as another word for saleswoman—a woman whose job is to sell products or services.Though salesgirl may still be used, and some saleswomen may apply the term to themselves, salesgirl is often considered outdated and demeaning due to the use of the word girl when such workers are usually women. The same is the case for the synonym shopgirl.The sales in salesgirl and saleswoman refers to the type of occupation or the division or department within a company. The terms salesgirl and saleslady (a less common synonym for saleswoman) are especially associated with women who work in retail stores, as opposed to those who work as saleswomen in other settings.The terms salesclerk, salesperson, and sales rep (or sales representative) can be used to mean the same thing without specifying gender.

Etymology

Origin of salesgirl

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; sales + girl

Example Sentences

“Bachelor Mother”: Ginger Rogers and David Niven — she’s a salesgirl in a department store, he’s the wealthy store owner — go to a New Year’s Eve party in this charming 1939 rom-com.

From Seattle Times

“That will be seven dollars and eighty-eight cents,” the salesgirl named Griselda tells me.

From Literature

Even those smiling, sashed salesgirls have been forced to scramble this winter for supplies to peddle online or on folding tables in front of grocery stores.

From Los Angeles Times

Here, she joins forces with Lillian, a tart-talking salesgirl in 1937 Los Angeles, to solve a mystery involving a murdered party girl who dies in a gown “borrowed” from the Paramount Pictures wardrobe department.

From Seattle Times

Her diverse job experience, starting as a salesgirl in her teens, helped the 40-year-old push books into prisons, and deliver more than 1.4 million volumes to public housing residents across the country.

From Reuters