"No Spam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ink.net...
    > In the American variety of English, "toilet" means
    > the plumbing fixture, not the room. Why can't the
    > Europeans think of a better name for the room than
    > simply using the name of one of the fixtures?

Unlike bathroom I suppose - sheesh

In fact of course toilet itself is a euphemism that
was used by polite society in place of cruder
terms like 'jakes' or latrine.

The plumbing fixture is correctly called the lavatory
pan by the way, which is odd since that words
etymology suggests its something to wash in !

Keith

Patrick Wallace wrote:
    > Why not? What else would one be going there to do than use the fixture
    > in question?

Nobody has pointed out that Americans DO HAVE toilets in their
bathrooms, whereas other countries often have a separate room,
a "WC". Toilet and 'bathroom' are both euphamisms, but the latter
frequently makes no sense.

What about the English? I was getting very frustrated looking for the
toilet in a theatre, which turned out to be hidden in the "Cloak room".
I didn't want to check my coat!

    > On Sat, 02 Apr 2005 18:27:00 GMT, in rec.travel.europe, "No Spam"
    > <[email protected]> arranged some electrons, so they looked like this
    > :
    >
    >>... In the American variety of English, "toilet" means
    >>... the plumbing fixture, not the room. Why can't the
    >>... Europeans think of a better name for the room than
    >>... simply using the name of one of the fixtures?

On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 08:13:40 +0800, Mike wrote:

    > What about the English? I was getting very frustrated looking for the
    > toilet in a theatre, which turned out to be hidden in the "Cloak room".
    > I didn't want to check my coat!

That's a new one on me.

--
Tim C.

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:
    > [email protected] wrote:
    > >
    > > its not crude, its just accurate, I'm not taking a bath and I'm not
    > > having a rest.
    > >
    > No, you're either "taking a piss" or "having a crap" - to
    > some of us, that counts as "crude" (at least when used in
    > general conversation among adults).

you could just say I'm going to the toilet
which is accurate without being rude or prudish.

    > "Going to the men's/ladies' room" covers both without being
    > disgustingly graphic. As to "not having a rest", speak for yourself!


I am.

    > Many women "go to the restroom" to repair makeup,

I glad I dont have to bother. Did you know that a lipstick user
(normally female) will eat 1kg of lipstick in their lifetime !!

    > have a private conversation with one of their female companions, or
    > just to have a few minutes away from some annoyingly
    > importunate male they may be stuck with for the evening.

just tell them you're going to the toilet. If they are American they
will back off because you used the 'T' word.

[email protected] (Patrick Wallace) wrote:

    >Why not? What else would one be going there to do than use the fixture
    >in question?

Comb one's hair?
Pick one's nose?
Scratch one's hemrrhoid?
Wash one's hands?
Apply one's makeup?
Pop one's zit?

Need one go on?


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Well said. I couldn't have agreed more. You forgot to mention we are
fat too.

On Sat, 02 Apr 2005 14:44:40 -0800, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >[email protected] wrote:
    >>
    >> its not crude, its just accurate, I'm not taking a bath and I'm not
    >> having a rest.
    >>
    >No, you're either "taking a piss" or "having a crap" - to
    >some of us, that counts as "crude" (at least when used in
    >general conversation among adults). "Going to the
    >men's/ladies' room" covers both without being disgustingly
    >graphic.

What utter bosh!

I'm an American, and when I'm in the UK I inquire about the
whereabouts of the "toilet", just like everyone else does. I find the
frankness and directness of the term refreshing. I *wish* I could be
as direct back here in the US, where the sight of a nipple is deemed
to turn children into rapists and the mention of "toilet" causes grown
men to weep.

Grow the hell up.

Here's a flash for you: everyone you know urinates and defecates
*every day*. Every day, they're dropping their trousers, squatting
onto the bowl and squeezing out links. Ker-plop!

Horrible, isn't it? How could anyone who's civilized *do* such a
thing?

Get over it. We all evacuate. And we all do it (most of us, anyway) in
the toilet. When I need to evacuate, I'm not looking for a bath or a
rest or a room. I want a TOILET. Point me there.

Save the Puritanical whining for the quilting bee.

- TR
- heading off to the TOILET.

On Mon, 4 Apr 2005 09:14:23 +0200, Tim Challenger
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 08:13:40 +0800, Mike wrote:
    >> What about the English? I was getting very frustrated looking for the
    >> toilet in a theatre, which turned out to be hidden in the "Cloak room".
    >> I didn't want to check my coat!
    >That's a new one on me.

a checked coat?

In article <[email protected]>,
Keith W <[email protected]> wrote:
    >"No Spam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected] link.net...
    >> In the American variety of English, "toilet" means
    >> the plumbing fixture, not the room. Why can't the
    >> Europeans think of a better name for the room than
    >> simply using the name of one of the fixtures?
    >Unlike bathroom I suppose - sheesh
    >In fact of course toilet itself is a euphemism that
    >was used by polite society in place of cruder
    >terms like 'jakes' or latrine.
    >The plumbing fixture is correctly called the lavatory
    >pan by the way, which is odd since that words
    >etymology suggests its something to wash in !

This is all fascinating, but I'm going to hit the
head. My wife is going to powder her nose ;-)

Keith W wrote:

    > In fact of course toilet itself is a euphemism that
    > was used by polite society in place of cruder
    > terms like 'jakes' or latrine.
    > The plumbing fixture is correctly called the lavatory
    > pan by the way, which is odd since that words
    > etymology suggests its something to wash in !

In what language? My hardware catalogue has a selection of
toilets that look remarkably like the porcelain fixture in my
washroom/ bathroom/ toilet/ powder room, but there is nothing
listed under the lavatory pan.

On 3 Apr 2005 07:57:20 -0700, [email protected] wrote:


    >An important part of travelling abroad is to realise that
    >foreigners - even ones who speak your language - do not use
    >all the same words or say all of them the same.
    >so CarRIBean or CarriBEan? MERlot or "MerLOWE"?
    >Do you ask for the check and pay with a bill? or
    >ask for the bill and pay with a cheque?
    >I would say that it is best to find acceptable local
    >expressions for where you happen to be, and then use
    >the one which offends you least!


And make sure you know you know what you're doing if you are ever
asked to put the cat out and put the light out before going to bed.

Extinguishing the cat can cause offence.

Derek