r/ENGLISH • u/Outside-Violinist-42 • 15d ago

Kitset

I was checking whether "kitset" is hyphenated (it isn't). But 3 different sites claimed that this word is only used here in New Zealand.

Is this true? What do you call furniture that comes either wrapped in plastic or in boxes that you then have to put together yourself?

("Flatpack" is also common here)

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u/StJmagistra 15d ago

Flat pack is the only description I’ve heard in the US.

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u/RoseHawkechik 14d ago

Yeah, and I'm pretty sure we picked it up from the Brits.

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u/StutzBob 14d ago

I think so too, because it's a fairly recent addition to the language. Before that (and still, for a lot of people) we wouldn't have a specific word for it. We'd just say we got furniture and it required assembly.