toast mistress
- noun
- /toʊst ˈmɪstrəs/
- Formal
:
maestra de ceremonias
- The toast mistress introduced the keynote speaker with grace and humor.
Examples
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At the awards dinner, the toast mistress ensured the program ran on time.
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She was honored to serve as toast mistress for the alumni celebration.
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The toast mistress welcomed all the guests warmly.
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Can you believe the toast mistress forgot the names of the speakers?
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At the wedding reception, the toast mistress made sure to introduce each speaker with enthusiasm.
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During the charity gala, the toast mistress kept the event lively by engaging the audience.
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As the toast mistress, she skillfully coordinated the evening's events to create a memorable experience.
Synonyms
6
4.2
A person who welcomes guests and introduces speakers at a formal event
1
7.5
A person who introduces speakers and asks people to raise their glasses at a formal event
A person who leads a dinner, gives toasts and introduces speakers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is largely derivable from 'toast' (ceremonial speech/drinking) + 'mistress' (female person in authority), so a learner who knows both words could infer a woman who acts as a toastmaster. However, 'mistress' has other common senses (e.g., lover, archaic household head) and the collocation is rare/marked in modern English, so the specific occupational sense may not be immediately obvious without exposure.
Etymology
Toast mistress comes from the old role of toastmaster, the person at a formal dinner who asked people to raise a toast (a short drink and speech to honour someone) and kept the program on time. A woman who did that became a toast mistress, so the phrase now means 'the woman who introduces speakers and makes sure the event runs smoothly'.