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Re: [YAEUT] Lexical variation survey

From:Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>
Date:Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 0:14
Davenport is a family name, nothing more IML.  The item of furniture
has always been a "couch"; "sofa", while acceptable, has a distinct
air of hoity-toitiness. "DO come sit on the sofa, darling, and tell
Jeeves what you would like to drink."



On 5/5/08, MorphemeAddict@wmconnect.com <MorphemeAddict@...> wrote:
> In a message dated 5/5/2008 13:08:36 PM Central Daylight Time, > rfmilly@MSN.COM writes: > > > > > >> 22. a piece of furniture that seats 3 people: > > > >> couch, chesterfield, davenport, divan, settee, sofa > > davenport is old but interchangeable with couch, sofa; chesterfield is a > > specific type-- usually with buttoned upholstery and nowadays often > leather. > > Divan would have been hoity-toity. A settee only seats 2 adults, also > called > > a loveseat. (I wonder if "couch" might originally have been for > reclining?) > > Also: hassock = footstool = ottoman = pouf (poof?). As an avid fan of > > "Antiques Roadshow" I've learned a lot of very specific terms for all > sorts > > of furniture. > > > > Now that you mention it, when I was growing up we called that piece of > furniture a davenport. > > stevo </HTML> >
-- Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>