Sofa, couch, divan, Davenport, Chesterfield, . . .

[ML]

Steve mentioned couch in another thread.

I have heard you can tell a lot about where a person in North America is from (and maybe other things about the person) based on which term they use:

Sofa, couch, divan, Davenport, Chesterfield, . . .

[2tallbill]

Steve mentioned couch in another thread.

I have heard you can tell a lot about where a person in North America is from (and maybe other things about the person) based on which term they use:

Sofa, couch, Davenport, Chesterfield, . . .

Angel Eyes calls it a "диван" (divan) in Russian but also means 
couch in English.

[GQBlues]

I thought it’s called Settee?

[2tallbill]

I thought it’s called Settee?

Not a chaise lounge? or a shorter version built for two a love seat?

[SteveInBoston]

When I grew up it was sofa.  Not sure when I started to use couch.  i think after the phrase "couch potato" started going around.

Grew up in florida.

[Steamer]

Sofa and couch were interchangeable in Detroit.

[msmob]

Not a chaise lounge? or a shorter version built for two a love seat?

Beel, 'Chaise lounge' is but another example of AWFUL n.Americanisation bastardisation  of other nations' words / terms .... the French term 'chaise longue' simply meaning ... long chair ..




'Divan', in Russian probably  got cribbed from French, when it was 'de rigueur' in the Russian Royal Court

Divan originates, apparently from Persian via Turkey ?...

http://www.etymonline.com/word/divan

I preferred to concentrate on the 'usage' of chaise longue.. and miss our divan in the lounge back in Sochi..

[Gator]

Chesterfield is a specific style of sofa in leather and deep buttoning.

GOOGLE IS OUR FRIEND

There aren’t any official documents validating the story, but it is said that the style was originally commissioned by Lord Philip Stanhope, the fourth Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773), from whom the sofa got its name.

It’s said that the Earl wanted somewhere for a gentleman to sit without putting creases in his suit, so he employed a local craftsman to come up with a solution. The end result of this commission was the forerunner of the Chesterfield sofa.

[SteveInBoston]

Chesterfield?  Or and ottoman

[ML]

Updated list:

Sofa, couch, divan, Davenport, Chesterfield, settee, love seat, chaise, ottoman

Some are distinct items.

Some are just different names for basically the same thing.

Growing up in the Midwest, I heard and used the term Davenport a lot, referring to almost anything (other than wooden table benches) holding more than one person that could be sat on.

During my time on West Coast, I quickly found that virtually no one knew what a Davenport was, so I switched to the term couch.

When beginning to interact with FSU folks, I found they were unfamiliar with the term couch, and instead used the term sofa.  So I switched again.

- - - - -

I also found the FSU folks were unfamiliar with our generic term 'pants' referring to almost  any outside clothing covering the legs.

Frustrating when I asked the gal to take off her pants.

They were using the term trousers, so I started using that term, except in the case of jeans.

- - - - - -

Was also surprised when people in Netherlands (with near perfect English) didn't know the term 'panties.'  They were using the term 'bloomers.'

[2tallbill]

Frustrating when I asked the gal to take off her pants.

Unless your request is so that you can wash or iron them, tell her
to take off her panties, which requires her pants to be removed
as well. Two for the price of one, in words at least.

[GQBlues]

Updated list:

Sofa, couch, divan, Davenport, Chesterfield, settee, love seat, chaise, ottoman

Some are distinct items.

Some are just different names for basically the same thing.

Trivial as this may be...I have always 'assumed' that 'sofa' (3 seat sectional) was for the 'longer' piece, where 'couch' was for the shorter unit, or aka love seat.

[tfcrew]

Trivial as this may be...I have always 'assumed' that 'sofa' (3 seat sectional) was for the 'longer' piece, where 'couch' was for the shorter unit, or aka love seat.

Close. From what I found---A couch is a sofa with no arms. 

Divans received this name because they were generally found along the walls in Middle Eastern council chambers of a bureau called divan or diwan (from Persian, meaning a government council or office, from the bundles of papers they processed, and next their council chambers).

Who sits on the wall?   

[msmob]

Trivial as this may be...I have always 'assumed' that 'sofa' (3 seat sectional) was for the 'longer' piece, where 'couch' was for the shorter unit, or aka love seat.

Not where you chosen language originates ... stop messing about with, it please .. 

It's bad enough you guys can't even label fanny anatomically correctly ...