It’s probably an apocryphal tale, but “Come up and see me sometime!” is what the
soldier, sailor or airman who invented the term Mae West is supposed to have
said when he tried on his life jacket and noticed that he bulged prominently
where the famous movie star queen did. We do know that the inflatable life
jacket was introduced at the beginning of World War II and named for one of the
most famous sex symbols because it “bulged in the right places.” Mae West
(1893-1980) starred on Broadway until two of her plays, Sex and Pleasure Man,
were closed by the police in 1928. Migrating to Hollywood, she won fame as
“Diamond Lil,” the “Screen’s Bad Girl,” and the “Siren of the Screen.” Her name,
Webster’s advises, is also given to a twin-turreted tank, a malfunctioning
parachute with a two-lobed appearance, and a bulging sail.