Not every word I pull a blank on is some obscure, archaic, or technical term that I feel no shame in not knowing. Sometimes I’m baffled by a fairly common or everyday word that I’ve just never heard before. Ignorance may be embarrassing to admit, but we can’t grow our vocabulary through shame. In that spirit . . .

I was recently re-reading Ross Macdonald’s first Lew Archer novel. The Moving Target, and in the final pages came across a description of a young lady sitting in a living room, “hugging her legs on a hassock beside the fireplace.”

Hassock? I was reaching for a dictionary.

Here’s what I learned. The word “hassock” has its origin in the Old English hasec, which means a clump of grass. And in some dictionaries it still has that secondary meaning. Which is apparently the same as “tussock,” another word I never use though one I have at least heard of.

From being a clump of grass the use of hassock was transferred to something soft to either sit or kneel upon. Specifically, it was used to describe the cushioned rest that you kneel on when praying in church. These are also called “kneelers.” I’ve never heard them referred to as hassocks, but then I don’t spend a lot of time in church.

More commonly though, a hassock is a large thick cushion used either as a seat or for resting your feet on. This is how it is used in The Moving Target. I would just call it a footstool or ottoman, and have never heard the word hassock before. At leat that I can remember. I’d read The Moving Target before but I guess I just skipped over it.

If you go online you will find that there is a distinction that’s made between ottomans and hassocks. Here’s how one website put it: “Ottomans are versatile and multifunctional, working as footrests, extra seating, coffee tables, or storage. They often have a flat, sturdy surface, perfect for holding items. Hassocks, on the other hand, are all about simplicity and comfort. They’re smaller, often cushioned all around, and mainly used as footrests.”

The key distinction is that ottomans have storage space while hassocks do not. This surprised me, as I wouldn’t have thought of ottomans as storing anything. I just thought they were cushioned footrests. Like hassocks. Except hassock is a word I’ve never used.

From my readings I think it’s clear that the word hassock isn’t used a lot by anyone anymore, and no longer serves much of a function since ottoman and footstool or footrest basically mean the same thing now.

Words, words, words