Mrs Butterworth's First Name Revealed

Mrs. Butterworth's First Name Revealed
by Kat Kinsman (Subscribe to Kat Kinsman's posts)
Posted Oct 1st 2009 4:30PM
Filed under: Food News

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Photo: Flickr / Roadsidepictures
Her name is Butterworth. Mrs. Butterworth. And after 40 years of
mystery, she's ready to reveal her first name to the world.

Slashfood reported in June that Mrs. Butterworth's had launched a
contest asking participants what they think the company's iconic spoke-
bottle's first name might be, accompanied by a short statement as to
why. The co-winners, 15-year-old Shayla Doty, of Logansport, Ind., and
Cynthia Harmon, 44, of Champaign, Ill., each independently found their
way to "Joy" -- as well as $500 and a year's supply of syrup.

Said Miss Doty, "The father-to-be, Mr. Butterworth, was in favor of
the name Yvonne, while the mother-to-be felt she was more deserving of
a name that would remind them of what a precious jewel she would be --
Opal. Having not settled on a decision the day their giggling baby
girl arrived, the doctor suggested "Jocelyn," meaning "the merry one."
A light bulb lit above Daddy Butterworth's head, and he suggested
combining the first letter from all three names, J-O-Y."

Ms. Harmon contended that, "Growing up, Mrs. Butterworth was teased by
classmates who called her 'Joy Buzzerworth' in reference to a popular
practical joke item called a joy buzzer that shocked people when they
shook hands. When Mrs. Butterworth's introduced her syrup to the
world, she didn't want anybody to think about Joy Buzzers, and just
wanted them to love her thick and rich and buttery syrup, and so she
decided to leave out her first name."

Still, Slashfood wonders -- did she meet a Mr. Butterworth and tie the
knot, or is Missus just a nickname? Share your best guesses in the
comments below.

Contest results will be posted at mrsbutterworthssyrup.
.