Summer QoTD #23

Although commonly found in Chinese restaurants in the States, this object found at dinner tables usually made of plastic, wood or glass is said to be an American invention. These claims are purely based on folklore, though. Originally known as the “dumbwaiter” (before the term referred to the small lifts that carry food across floors), legends point towards ex-US President and all-rounder Thomas Jefferson as being the original inventor of this object for his daughter who complained that she was always served last and thus never left the table full. Although the answer might lead you to think that the object was named after Jefferson’s daughter, it is not certain whether that is the case.

What is the most commonly known name for the object being talked about?

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