The Grandfather Clock
To most people, at least here in the UK, the longcase clock is better known as a grandfather clock. Many aren't even aware of the term "longcase clock".So what is a grandfather clock? What's the diference between a longcase clock and a grandfather clock? There's no difference at all.
"Gramdfather clock" is a relatively recent name, dating from 1876. The term came from a popular song written by Henry Clay Work entitled "My Grandfather's Clock". This song begins:
My grandfather's clock
Was too large for the shelf
So it stood ninety years on the floor
It was taller by half
Than the old man himself
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
Grandmother Clock
A rather less common term is grandmother clock. This is simply a shorter version of the grandfather clock, usually less than six feet tall. Traditional grandmother clocks often have a pinched case finished in cherry wood.