Crisper Than What?

Can you answer a question for me? Why is that little drawer at the bottom of the fridge called a crisper? Since I have retrieved many a flaccid vegetable from there, I feel it's truly a misnomer.

It's supposed to keep veggies fresh, but how does that work? It's not sealed, not locked. It's just a drawer -- not unlike the one I keep my socks in, only cooler.

My theory is that some Madison Avenue copywriter was assigned the Frigidaire account and decided "vegetable drawer" simply lacked pizazz. Would you toss fresh produce into a mere drawer? Underwear goes into a drawer. Vegetables go into a crisper. Now that's inspiration!

I think it's a matter of semantics with me. I can't help asking "crisper than what". With that name I fully expect veggies that reside in the crisper be fresher when I take them out than when I put them in -- zapped with electronic anti-stale rays or some other high tech wizardry.

Oh, I know it doesn't work that way, so in lieu of that how about a fridge equipped with a flashing light or robo message that warns me just before the mushrooms, long forgotten in that frigid lower drawer, turn to brown liquid.