What are Occasional Tables?

For several years, this particular writer has been dumbfounded by furniture ads for occasional tables, leading me to wonder, are these tables only there on occasion, used for a special occasion, or are they only tables occasionally? The fact is, the term, occasional tables, is just a fancier way of defining end tables or coffee tables, or any table one might use in a living room, parlor or family room setting. The first references to occasional tables appear in the late 17th and early 18th century. In early usage, occasional tables often referred to dining tables with expandable or drop leaf tops. On occasion, these tables could be expanded to accommodate additional guests, or to make extra space when work was being conducted on the table. From these early references, the term occasional tables gradually migrated to mean any type of small tables used in living room settings. We more commonly refer to these as end tables or coffee tables, but you often see sets of occasional tables ...  more