Re: [YAEUT] Lexical variation survey

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>
>
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Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>