(Samuel Beckett) was thinking about a second play, too. He had a title in mind and asked Suzanne what she thought of it. What about En attendant Godot? She looked puzzled. Waiting for Godot? And who was this Godot? Of course, Beckett could not tell her. He mumbled something about a wordplay on ‘God’. He would later confide to his friend Con Leventhal the real origin of the title. Beckett often went to the rue Godot de Mauroy, in the 9th arrondissement, popular with prostitutes. One day a girl asked if he needed her services; when he turned down her offer, she replied sarcastically, ‘Oh yeah, and who are you waiting for, then? Godot?’
Left Bank: Art, Passion and the Rebirth of Paris 1940–1950, Agnès Poirier (UK) (US)