Community Chat

[Lila Belle]

Anyone who reads a lot, and reads a variety of fiction and non-fiction, can broaden their vocabulary and become a bit more knowledgeable about terms used in other countries or parts of the US. I always find unusual terms, words and terminology really interesting.

[sylviahomeatlast]

On 7/21/2014 Lila Belle said:

Anyone who reads a lot, and reads a variety of fiction and non-fiction, can broaden their vocabulary and become a bit more knowledgeable about terms used in other countries or parts of the US. I always find unusual terms, words and terminology really interesting.

very true. :-)

[pitdakota]

My aunt from Ohio always used the word davenport. She was the only one I ever knew that used it though.

[september]

On 7/21/2014 Lucky Charm said:

My family of Bostonians called it a divan (dye-van). the living room was the 'pah-lah' (parlor) or simply the front room. Front porch was called a 'piazza'.

Divan is what I remember from my days growing up in New England. My family didn't use this term, but when someone else did, I knew what they meant by it. We also had a parlor.

The informal room was called the TV room. A parlor was just for visitors, and never had a TV in it.

[MikafromTopeka]

My grandmother use to say Chesterfield which is a Canadian term for couch. She was born in a small town just below the Canadian border in Minnesota in 1905 and moved to California when she was still very young so it's funny to me that she was still saying Chesterfield after I was born in the 1960's.

[JuJu Squeezie]

On 7/21/2014 MaggieToo said:

We had what my parents called a "chesterfield".

Chesterfield is a certain style, certain shape, cubish with button and tufted back and arms. I have this style in my more formal room, it's a great style lasting through the years and forever.

[faeriemoon]

We always said ""couch"" even though we were familiar with the other terms. Our living room was a ""parlor"" though.

[Topaz Gem]

In my grandmother's era (WWI), couches were called davenports. Also, a lot of families in my area referred to their livingrooms as 'parlors'. My family never did, but many other folks used that term.

[misspammie]

I'm a davenport!!!! and I'd love to have a parlor,,,separate from living room!

[traveler]

I remember watching To Kill A Mockingbird and wondering what a chifferobe was. had to look it up.