Parlor or living room ?

[cateyes1]

When I was growing up in Somerville in the 50’s and 60’s, there was a room in our house we all called the parlor, instead of the living room. Somewhere down the years the term “living room” replaced “parlor”.

[bshee58]

Ours was the living room, as kids we couldn't go in there, it was for special company.

[dsosnowski06]

It was the living room and we used it all the time since there was no basement or family.  Now that I own my home my living room is not used since I have both a basement and a family room.  But you can also see the TV in the family room from my kitchen so I spend most of time at the kitchen table when I am on the computer

[gwilson31]

When I was growing up we had a living room where we had the tv and the stereo.  My aunts house had a living room for tv and kids but a parlor just for company.

[mrisha]

It was always Living Room in our house.  You never played in it.  Playing was for outside which was just fine for us.

[metsrock69]

I heard it both ways growing up. I think it is just like saying a finished basement turned into a family room. I grew up in the 70's so things  were a lot different back then.We never did get cable until 1978 or 79.

[ancmetro]

    Parlor or living room is also called:  Family room.
    It is usually the living room use for many purposes:
    Guest greeting, family visits or reunions, play games,
    talking, reading, TV watching and many more.

[pkrahmer]

growing up we had a living room. We only used it when we entertained or in the winter when it was cold because that's where the fireplace was.

[rob110]

Only had a living room.

[Nancy5]

We only had a living room.. I didn't know anyone who had a fami!y room, I don't think most houses had one.  We had a finished basement and that's where I played a lot and as my siblings and I grew up we could have parties there, but we only had 1 tv and that was in the living room.

[ktheodos]

I have never heard of parlor in that sense...only living room....I have seen parlor's referred to as a room in the church....

[jenniferhoder]

We called it a living room although we never really used it for that..... I don't have one in my current house.

[NRAJOE]

Living room...

[debidoo]

I never heard the Parlor to describe the living room in my family although I think it is a cool word. It was either living room or if you were rich enough LOL to have two living room type rooms one was the living room and one the den.  We only had a living room.

[braggin]

I didn't know a parlor was a living room. Thanks for clueing me in on that. I always thought it was a sort of an entryroom in old houses where you put your boots and umbrellas as you enter the house.