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How the names change over the years,

(27 Posts)
HeavenLeigh Fri 08-Jul-22 10:25:41

I remember in the 60’s 70’s we had couches, or called settees, but for quite a few years we now call them sofas, Anyone else noticed this, as pointed out by my Friend! Or do you still refer to them as the former.? My little granddaughter said what on earth is a settee Nannie we have sofas! I must admit we do too

Aveline Fri 08-Jul-22 10:36:08

We never had couches or settees. Always and only sofas.
Pouffes were also prevalent but I dare say they've been banned nowadays!

henetha Fri 08-Jul-22 10:38:19

Sofa for me, always. I like pouffes and still have an old red leather one.

JaneJudge Fri 08-Jul-22 10:41:40

we had a settee too and a pouffe (not a footstool)
I noticed the other night my son calls lifts elevators! Surely only Aerosmith called them elevators on the wireless

tanith Fri 08-Jul-22 10:43:40

Settees in my house.

paddyann54 Fri 08-Jul-22 10:44:33

I just bought a new chair for my kitchen area ...it has a Pouffe underneath to be used as a footstool .So they're still around .

RichmondPark Fri 08-Jul-22 10:51:28

Our pouffe is called a Dumpty.

HeavenLeigh Fri 08-Jul-22 11:06:01

Oh I forgot about pouffes

JackyB Fri 08-Jul-22 14:25:49

My (upwards aspiring) parents called it a pouffe, pronounced poo-fay.

Sofa, settee, couch, have always been interchangeable as far as I remember. Depends on your background or area.

What we always called French windows seem now to always be called patio doors.

And as for something completely different, when did cake mixtures stop being called that and turn into batter?

Sago Fri 08-Jul-22 14:38:23

Napkin or serviette?
I always use a napkin.

Ilovecheese Fri 08-Jul-22 14:49:42

JackyB "What we always called French windows seem now to always be called patio doors."
Ah, that's brexit for you!

Aveline Fri 08-Jul-22 15:15:29

Napkin! Check out John Betjeman's poem. I think it starts, 'Send for the fish knives Norman,' or something like that.
It really skewers pretension. Not sure exactly when it was written.

lemsip Fri 08-Jul-22 15:17:47

`when growing up we called it a couch, one end of it lowered so you could lay down...... I however have a two seater 'settee'

often wonder about the difference

MissAdventure Fri 08-Jul-22 15:21:20

I say whatever comes to mind.
It all adds up to the same thing - something you sit on.
Couch, settee, sofa.

Yammy Fri 08-Jul-22 15:32:15

Ilovecheese

JackyB "What we always called French windows seem now to always be called patio doors."
Ah, that's brexit for you!

We always called the wooden ones with lots of panes French, the big glass sliding one's patio doors.
We had sofas and a relation had one with only one arm which she referred to as a chasse longe, I can't spell it but it looked like something out of a French Boudoir.

Yammy Fri 08-Jul-22 15:36:39

We all have duvets now, where have all the quilts and eiderdowns gone? We had lovely patchwork ones which my grans made with my old dresses. and silk eider downs.

Yammy Fri 08-Jul-22 15:44:06

Aveline

We never had couches or settees. Always and only sofas.
Pouffes were also prevalent but I dare say they've been banned nowadays!

Our family too Aveline and what my dad referred to as poofs . He always made us laugh when he wanted a new suit as he would not go to a certain tailor as the poof was not going to measure his inside leg. Picturing one levitating with a tape measure made us cry with laughter. We were too young to know what he meant.

kittylester Fri 08-Jul-22 15:54:55

We have sofas and puffs!

HowVeryDareYou Fri 08-Jul-22 16:20:24

In our house, we've got:

a front room, not a lounge
2 settees, not sofas
a toilet, not a loo
a spare bedroom, not a nursery, study or office

Jane71 Fri 08-Jul-22 17:43:34

We always had sofa

MissAdventure Fri 08-Jul-22 17:45:13

We had a studio couch when I was little.

dragonfly46 Fri 08-Jul-22 18:00:56

My parents had settees and we have sofas with a foot stool ?

Yammy Fri 08-Jul-22 18:04:02

Lace curtains then nets to keep the sun out, roller blinds venetian blinds, vertical blinds, Austrian blinds and now Roman blinds.
Frills above the curtain then valances and box valances. Curtains to the window sill curtains to the floor. Tie backs ,metal wall hooks now full length straight to the floor. All the ways curtains have changed in my life time.
A line from the film "East is East,"Get your nets washed you mucky bitch". Frequently heard when women were arguing in the street in the 50's.It still makes me laugh.
White steps and window sills. Red cardinal and White cardinal
all our yesterdays.

Elizabeth27 Fri 08-Jul-22 18:55:15

In our house napkins were linen, serviettes paper, now it is kitchen roll. We had a settee in the lounge with a pouffe, I have a sofa and footstool in the living room. We used the loo, I use the toilet.

Doodledog Fri 08-Jul-22 19:21:49

Yammy

We all have duvets now, where have all the quilts and eiderdowns gone? We had lovely patchwork ones which my grans made with my old dresses. and silk eider downs.

My husband recently mentioned a 'continental quilt' to the children (late 20s) and they thought it hilarious?. My daughter vowed never to refer to a duvet again. They had never heard of such things, although they've used one every night since going into a bed.