Lazy Susan
餐桌转盘 · cānzhuō zhuànpán (pinyin)
A rotating tray in the middle of a table that lets diners share dishes; common in Chinese restaurants, with an unsettled name origin.
What it means
A lazy Susan is a rotating tray, made of glass, wood or plastic, placed at the center of a table so diners can reach shared dishes. Wikipedia gives the Chinese name as 餐桌转盘 (cānzhuō zhuànpán), literally 'dinner-table turntable'.
Wikipedia says lazy Susans are particularly common in formal Chinese restaurants worldwide, especially those serving Cantonese dim sum, because of how Chinese meals are shared. Wikipedia and The Takeout both say the origin of the name is unsettled. Wikipedia says the popular story crediting Thomas Jefferson has no supporting evidence.
The Takeout says engineer George Hall redesigned the tray in the 1950s for a San Francisco Chinese restaurant, and Wikipedia says its popularity rose after that redesign.
A common mix-up
Despite the Chinese-restaurant association, the English name is not a Chinese term and its origin is unproven; the Thomas Jefferson story has no supporting evidence, per Wikipedia.
Questions people ask
Who invented the lazy Susan?
The sources do not name an inventor. Wikipedia says the origin of the name is lost to history, and The Takeout says it is still debated. George Hall, per The Takeout, redesigned it in the 1950s for a San Francisco Chinese restaurant.
What is the Chinese name for a lazy Susan?
Wikipedia gives 餐桌转盘 (cānzhuō zhuànpán), 'dinner-table turntable'.
Sources & further reading
Background and preparation references. Our descriptions are editorial summaries, not restaurant reviews.