A coffee table, also called a cocktail table, is a style of long, low table which is designed to be placed in front of a sofa, to support beverages (hence the name), magazines, books (especially coffee table books), and other small items to be used while sitting, such as beverage coasters. Coffee tables are usually found in the living room or sitting room. They are available in many different variations and prices vary from style to style. Coffee tables may also incorporate cabinets for storage.
The most common construction of coffee tables is out of wood, but metal coffee tables are also popular. Typically, stainless steel or aluminum are used for metal coffee tables.
The idiom "Gather round the coffee table" is derived from the furniture piece and its proclivity for encouraging conviviality and light conversation.
Read more about Coffee Table: Origins
Famous quotes containing the words coffee and/or table:
“Talk is a pure art. Its only limits are the patience of listeners who, when they get tired, can always pay for their coffee or change it with a friendly waiter and walk out.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)
“Language was vigorous because, because ... editors usually “laid all the cards on the table so as to leave their hands ... free for more persuasive arguments!” The citizenry at large retaliated as best they could.”
—State of Utah, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)