7/5/09

So THAT's what it's called... Etageres

I'm embarrassed... Feeling a little like a decor dunce... Readers, please assume that I have been living under a rock. Sometimes changing diapers and living on a diet of Cheerios, PB&J crusts, and chocolate chips creates new vocabulary words for things we like.
For example: That picture up there has been a triangular shelf corner thingy to me for a long while. OR... I might have called it a vertical decorator shelf majig. Gramaticians, gramarians, and homonym police... please avert your eyes... I am not joking.
Thingys and Majigs are great descriptive words unless your trying to read off a measuring tape to your husband and it's neither a half or a quarter but rather, "2 smallest majigs after the 3rd middle size line thingy." Husbands find that vocabulary completely useless and perhaps painful.

No, until today I thought this was just a fancy tall skinny shelf deal. But, dear readers it is not. It has a name and all ya'll decorator divas and design savvy friends are rolling your eyes and shaking your heads in disbelief that I didn't know it.

This fancy shelf is called an Etagere. French? The official definition: A piece of furniture with open shelves for displaying small ornaments. (Duh) For the record... Blogger spell check hasn't caught up with the chic vocab either.

So, now you can all rest at ease and invite your girlfriends over to check out your new Etagere or finally find one on Craigslist because you know what it's called.... or I just revealed my total dorkness today.
Honestly, Did you know that word?

15 comments:

Unknown said...

You are my first smile this morning! I love reading your blog. "Mommy World" is at times overwhelming and consuming. You have put your priorities in the right place. Thanks as always for sharing your real self with us. Have a wonderful week.

Charla

Kathleen Grace said...

Yes, I do know the word Etagere but since I don't speak French I feel free to call it by it's American name, a shelf thingy. Nothing wrong with that:>)

Vanessa Greenway said...

No, I had no clue about the word. I don't speak French and to me will still be called "that corner shelf thingy". lol Have a great day!

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

I did/do know that word but I don't think I've ever used it out loud. I have never used it with a client and if I did say it, just how many people would know what I was talking about. You're safe! : )

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

I know that word, but I didn't know it could be used to apply to those open triangle shelf thingies. ;) Cute post!

Cass @ That Old House said...

I know the word, but I like your descriptive term much better!
Cass

DESJ and Company said...

I knew the word. But I still have not a clue how to pronounce it.

Heathahlee said...

I did know that word, but probably would have still called it a vertical shelf thingie. : )

Heathahlee said...

I just thought of a question...how do you pronounce it?

Sarah said...

Nope, I don't know that word, but now I do! Though I doubt I could search for one on CL since probably no one there has them listed as that.
I'll search under shelf majig.

DeAnna said...

I have heard the word but had no idea what it was attached to. I think I thought it was some sort of lingere LOL. I refer to it as a "kitty corner shelf". Thanks for the tip - craig's list here I come.

Valencia Jones-Edwards said...

Yet another word I can't pronounce...lol

Quirky Cottage Owners said...

News to me -- and I would need to know how to pronounce it before I would ever try to use it out loud.

Anonymous said...

I had heard of an etagere, but had no idea what it was until I saw a blog post on another blog about her 'outdoor etagere' just a few days ago. So, basically, a bookshelf could be considered an Etagere??
And BTW...I'm doing a tour of my home on my blog...come by and check it out!

Anonymous said...

i have heard of it - and yikes - even know how to pronounce - i knew the minor in french would come in handy one day !!!

Eh-Tah-scher is the best phonetic i can come up eith. Etage ( eh-taj ( like taj mahal) is a level in a building - so like a building these "thing" has many etages . :-)

 
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