h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Which word do you use? Is there a class/age/regional divide on what you call one of these, errr, limousines of the armchair world?

Settee or the spanish Sofa

Settee for me too (NW England)

Couch.

Just so long as its long enough for me to stretch out full length and I've a cover for it, a pillow for my head and shoulders and a throw rug for the end where my feet go, I'm happy.

If its plumply padded and too short for me to stretch out full length without putting my feet up on one arm, 'sofa'.

'Settee' if it will comfortably accomodate only two seated adults.

'Whatnot' general purpose descriptive for a considerable number of things, from tools to objets d'art to footstools; footstools also refered to as knick-knacks*.

*Pennsylvania Dutch dialect.

Sofa.

I don't know what class I am, worling perhaps (father a fireman, grandad a coalminer), raised in council housing.

Age 48 ( am I really??).

Region - Midlands via Kent then Orkney then London.

Deb

I grew up with couch (to sit on), dinner (lunchtime meal) and tea (evening meal), but married into settee, lunch and dinner.

I've got them around to saying "tea" (evening meal), but I'm still working on the other two. I don't think it will ever happen.

Dervishes come from the worling class as well deb

AKA the worling Dervishes

I'd call it a sofa. My grandparents called it a settee, but they were from Belfast and a different era.

The distinction between 'Tea' and 'Dinner' isn't just where you're from, it's what you eat. If you have a big meal with lots of cooked food, for example, steak, potatoes and cabbage, then it is dinner, even if it is in the evening. On the other hand, if you have scrambled egg, followed by lots of bread and jam, then it is is tea.

Well, that's 'high tea', which is well above my social scale.

at bobstafford. Fair does, mea culpa & all that

I grew up with lunch & dinner but I've lived in the Midlands for nigh on 20 years now, so these days I have lunch & tea.

Deb

In the American southeast, 'dinner' is the mid day meal, while in most of the remainder of the USA, 'dinner' refers to the evening meal, often with an implication that the meal is formal or ceremonial.

'Supper' refers to the evening meal everwhere in the USA.

Mostly sofa, but occasionally couch.

Lunch can only refer to the midday meal. Supper can only refer to the evening meal. Dinner depends on how extensive it is.

Sofa I think. Well, I know I say "the red sofa" but I've a feeling I might refer to "the leather couch". Maybe it's dependent on material. Or colour.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, though DH will ask "Any thoughts on tea?"

Now come on, you can't just go round calling things "sofas" just because they are red! That way madness lies!

A red sofa at night is a shepherd's delight.

It's certainly a Weimaraner's delight, not sure about shepherds, German or otherwise

Did Lenin like to sit on red sofas?

Yes, with his feet resting on a leathery old pouffe.

Did they have rasputin stuffed then?

Sofa but used to use settee in my youth

Im from south east England, late 40s, no class

What about hassocks, then? Does anybody use the word or did they ever?