On Fri, 13 Dec 2002, Rosemary Ighel wrote: #I still need a definition for a book that's thick enough to hold up the #corner of the couch in the basement, yet still makes people think you're #educated because it's in your house, and no one wants to read it (see #"Ulysses") . Coffee-table book. Those are so called because they're bought to ornament the coffee table, and possibly to browse idly while waiting for the guests to arrive, but not to read. But ISTM that the same set of books fits both classes. -- Mark A. Mandel