Another one of those "(x) countries divided by a common language" questions.

What do you call the room of your house that is for entertaining guests? Is it the front room? the loungeroom? the sitting room? the parlour?

because enquiring minds need to know
Azh

Sala de visita  ;D

Brazilian dude

Well… In a way, this room has gone the way of the Dodo bird, here in the US.

Used to be called the parlour, now called the living room.

According to this site, there’s a reason it’s called the living room now:

* the old name for a living room was commonly "parlour" which comes from the fact that in ages past, frequently in Manses (presbyterian  reverends’ homes) the main living room also doubled as a place for laying of a coffin for mourners to view their dear departed. Once funeral "parlours" came into existence, these rooms became known as "living" rooms, as no longer were they used to display the dead.

I’m not so sure I swallow that story, but I couldn’t argue it, either.

-Tim

OK, this is how it is. The room used to be a front room, one was ‘received in the foyer’; a Parlor was nearly never used, it was kept for only honored visitors. When escorted to The Parlor, they knew they were considered special.  This was in Victorian times, Then somewhere in the 1930-40’s it was more than a woman wanted to do to clean a huge house so there were fewer rooms and the names changed the Foyer disappeared, the front room became a living room and who really needed a parlor anymore, the First World war changed everything.  The second confirmed it.  At about this time the family room came about, usually tucked away in the basement it was generally only for the family and in sharp contrast to the Parlor wasn’t considered a showplace or even usually tidy. Then the living room; a small box to contain the sofa (divan or whatever you want to call it) and the idiot box, was too small so the walls for the dining room and the kitchen were punched out to make a Greatroom.  A place for family and company altogether was created.  Of course most of us still have living rooms.

p

[quote author=prosyncophant link=board=what;num=1145924038;start=0#3 date=04/26/06 at 12:59:57]Of course most of us still have living rooms.

My point is partially about the "countries divided by a common language".

In Australia, for example, you’d have a "loungeroom", which is where the better furniture and (a) television are kept. This is where you would entertain non-family members.

If your house is less than about 25 years old, you would also have a "family room", which contains the less-good furniture, and another television, and is used by family members for their own entertainment.  Often the family room doubles as the informal dining room, having the family table stuck in there.

A house older than about 40 or so years would probably have only one of these rooms, and it would be referred to as the "lounge room", unless extensions had been made at some point to provide a second area.

My question was less about what social changes brought about this state, and more about how the major english-speaking countries of the world refer to the room  itself.

In Australia, it’s a loungeroom. In the US or Canada, it’s apparently a living room. In  Britain, it may well still be called a sitting room.

Azh
(determined to finish the current chapter today)

[quote author=azhreia link=board=what;num=1145924038;start=0#4 date=04/26/06 at 19:46:25]

My point is partially about the "countries divided by a common language".

In Australia, for example, you’d have a "loungeroom", which is where the better furniture and (a) television are kept. This is where you would entertain non-family members.

If your house is less than about 25 years old,

and larger than mine is which means we only have a living room, but larger homes do have family rooms, you are quite right re: the approximate age of the homes.

you would also have a "family room", which contains the less-good furniture, and another television, and is used by family members for their own entertainment.  Often the family room doubles as the informal dining room, having the family table stuck in there.

A house older than about 40 or so years would probably have only one of these rooms, and it would be referred to as the "lounge room", unless extensions had been made at some point to provide a second area.

I never saw any lounge room here except for homes that have solariums.  and I’ve never had one of those, If your people in your story have a larger home and more than two people in it in the US, they have a great room, or a living room and maybe a family room.

My question was less about what social changes brought about this state, and more about how the major english-speaking countries of the world refer to the room  itself.

I thought I’d answered that quite well if not couched in the context wanted.  I was replying to Tim’s post with my explanation.

In Australia, it’s a loungeroom. In the US or Canada, it’s apparently a living room. In  Britain, it may well still be called a sitting room.

Azh
(determined to finish the current chapter today)

Actually in many places it’s still called the front room, if it’s indeed the Front room.
p

[quote author=prosyncophant link=board=what;num=1145924038;start=0#5 date=04/26/06 at 21:51:00]
and larger than mine is which means we only have a living room, but larger homes do have family rooms, you are quite right re: the approximate age of the homes.

In Australia we are quite fortunate that most family homes are on the standard quarter-acre block, so there’s usually plenty of room. These days more of the land tends to be taken up with house and rather less with garden, but I remember that the "family room"/"rumpus room" didn’t start to be considered a normal thing until the late 70s or early 80s, now it would be a rare family home that was constructed without both, unless it’s been specially designed that way.

I never saw any lounge room here except for homes that have solariums.  and I’ve never had one of those, If your people in your story have a larger home and more than two people in it in the US, they have a great room, or a living room and maybe a family room.

the Aussie "loungeroom" is the equivalent of the more formal "living room", the "family room" is the less formal area.

In the novel, presently set in an undetermined part of the US, probably California, since that’s the only part of the US I can claim to know even a little of, the people are living in an apartment/townhouse situation, and are single persons. I think it likely they would refer to their entertaining space as the "living room", whereas if I set it in Australia, I’d refer to it as the "lounge room". However, setting it in Australia would cause other logistical problems.

I thought I’d answered that quite well if not couched in the context wanted.  I was replying to Tim’s post with my explanation.

In the context of answering Tim’s post, then yes, you answered it well.

Actually in many places it’s still called the front room, if it’s indeed the Front room.

and sometimes even if it’s not the front room. Which is confusing to say the least.

Azh
(still working on the aforementioned chapter(21), having now completed what will be chapter 23, and still figuring out what has to happen in chapter 22 to keep the plot moving logically from the end of this chapter to the start of the 23rd one. Confused yet? You will be ...)

A townhouse is two storey attached usually with a basement where you can have Col. Mustard killed in the rumpus room, However I don’t remember any basements in California.  I think if there were basements the entire house would reside in that basement after every earthquake (other factors include a high water table and clay soils).  Maybe Northern California?  Otherwise  we’ll say when reading your book, "Ah It was written by an Aussie, who’s never been here."

p teasing

[quote author=prosyncophant link=board=what;num=1145924038;start=0#7 date=04/28/06 at 09:30:37]A townhouse is two storey attached usually with a basement where you can have Col. Mustard killed in the rumpus room, However I don’t remember any basements in California.  I think if there were basements the entire house would reside in that basement after every earthquake (other factors include a high water table and clay soils).  Maybe Northern California?  Otherwise  we’ll say when reading your book, "Ah It was written by an Aussie, who’s never been here."

p teasing

/me grins

well, funny you should say that ....

(looks out of the window at the more-or-less northern californian view outside them) I happen to *be* in California as we speak. Hence my comment about it being the only state I know a little about.

However, the apartments are simply referred to as apartments. They are attached to a (much) larger house. for reasons unlikely to become apparent until the book escapes (or is released).

Azh.
(Chapter 21 is finished. Yay! Chapter 22 ... is still in limbo. Chapter 23 is still finished.)