Guide Note

Longtime partner to the couch, the coffee table is so-named, of course, for its main use—that of holding one's coffee or other beverage up off the ground as he or she reads the paper, watches television or partakes in any other living room activity.

Fast Facts

1. AKA: Cocktail table
2. Usually positioned low to the ground
3. Thought to inspire conversation
4. Some designs incorporate drawers or cabinetry
5. Also typically holds books and magazines

The character of Kramer on the classic TV sitcom Seinfeld didn't always have the best ideas when all was said and done, but his concept of a coffee table book about celebrities' coffee tables actually got published (on the show, not in real life).

The book bombed, of course, but supposedly a film was being produced about Kramer's experience as an author...perhaps Seinfeld: the Movie will shed some light on the ongoing story of his "coffee table book about coffee tables."