COUCH, SOFA, DAVENPORT, CHESTERFIELD, SETTEE, OR DIVAN

When I was growing up, my family called our couch a davenport. When I heard other people refer to theirs as a couch, I thought it was countrified. Well it turns out that Davenport was the name of a series of couches made in Massachusetts by A.H. Davenport and Company, now defunct. The furniture was so popular at the time that davenport became a generic trademark, like aspirin.

Now that I'm grown up and have my own family, we call our couch a couch, although I have called it a sofa. Come to find out, the term couch is used in North America and Australia, while the term sofa is generally used in the United Kingdom. In Canada it's often called a chesterfield.

Then there is a settee, which usually seats two people, like a loveseat, but sometimes seats more. And there's the divan, a long low sofa without a back or arms, usually placed against a wall.

Now that that's straightened out, when I was growing up, my family called our kitchen counter the sideboard. Now if I ever use the term sideboard my kids look at me funny.





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