sofaful

English

Alternative forms

• sofa-ful

Etymology

From sofa +‎ -ful.

Noun

sofaful (plural not attested)

1. Enough to fill a sofa.
   • 1910 November 19, William J[ohn] Locke, “Septimus: Chapter VII”, in The Evening Star, number 18,315, Washington, D.C., part 2, page 8:

     Zora, with a sofaful of railway time tables and ocean-steamer handbooks, sought his counsel as to a voyage round the world which she had in contemplation; […]

   • 1921 September 24, Raymund Allen, “From My Study: Mental Recreation”, in Western Mail, number 16,326, page 9:

     It suggests a prim aunt playing “proverbs” with a sofaful of priggish little nieces, and is a studied insult to cards and chess.

   • 1955 June 5, Los Angeles Times, volume LXXIV, part III, page 9:

     Toss our Lazyback sofa pillows anywhere! […] Buy a sofaful of them, for comfort!

   • 1956 March 26, “Silence Haunts Capital During Cyprus Curfew”, in Corpus Christi Caller, volume 74, number 56, Corpus Christi, Tex., page 10:

     Today’s only guests were the governor’s aide, Lord Lumley, two other government representatives and a sofaful of foreign correspondents.

   • 1956 July 22, Akron Beacon Journal, 117th year, number 229, page 29:

     Scatter these colorful pillows in every room, buy several extras for your porch chairs, too! […] Come in and pick up a sofaful while they last at this one low price.

   • 1960 October 10, “Rock-a-Bye Role for Presley”, in Life, volume 49, number 15, page 121:

     A SOFAFUL OF CHERUBS throws admiring looks at Elvis.

   • 1962, James Stevenson, Do Yourself a Favor, Kid, The Macmillan Company, page 96:

     Nearby, a sofaful of middle-aged people were relaxing pretty well, but one lady in the group kept opening her eyes and looking around to see how everyone else was doing.

   • 1971 April 16, William A. Caldwell, “Simeon Stylites: The Dying Fish Story”, in The Record, volume 76, number 222, page A-18:

     Increasing numbers of aging men will be mumbling about the times that used to be, the way I caught myself the other evening describing the pleasures of fly casting for weakfish, the vanishing sea trout, to a sofaful of young persons glassy-eyed with boredom.

   • 1976, “Appliquéd Felt Pillows”, in The Woman’s Day Book of Gifts to Make, New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 161:

     A whole garden of bright pillows to liven an entire room. What could be more cheerful than these flowers never seen before in any botanical guide? Make one—or a whole sofaful.

   • 2019, Lala Manners, The Early Years Movement Handbook: A Principles-Based Approach to Supporting Young Children’s Physical Development, Health and Wellbeing, London, Philadelphia, Pa.: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, →ISBN, page 209:

     Accommodate big groups. A ‘sofaful’ or ‘age plus one’ is plenty.