Maybe you had friends and family over on New Years Eve and sat around the coffee table in the living room until midnight. But they weren’t always called that.
That name was because of prohibition. Before 1920, these tables were called “cocktail tables.” When prohibition hit and alcohol became illegal, people started serving coffee to their guests instead. Ever since then the “coffee table” name stuck and has been used ever since.
I always thought they should be called “feet tables” because that’s when everyone does when the plop down on the couch, throws their feet up.
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