English euphemisms
 

My Spanish teacher and I were talking about the fact that the Spanish are very direct about saying they are going to the toilet and what they are going to do there whereas the English have a history of euphemisms. I wondered whether this varies from one area of the UK to another.

My uncle always said that he was going to Point Percy at the porcelain and one of my friends always said that she was going to twinkle.

Rosemary

Re: English euphemisms
 

I suppose 'toilet' is in fact a euphemism anyway.
An example of euphemism inflation.

I say that I am "going to see a man about a dog"

Re: English euphemisms
 

My Irish Grandaddy sometimes said that he was "going for a pony and trap."

When I was a bit older I thought it might have been Cockney, but they never went to London and ended up in Yorkshire ... so who knows?

Going for a twinkle is not new to me and people also said "spend a penny".

Re: English euphemisms
 

It's probably just because you don't know the Spanish ones, they have plenty the same as us. It's quite common to say simply voy al baño.
Talking of porcelain, they say "voy a visitar al señor Roca". Cambiar el agua al canario, I´ve heard. There are loads of them, some of them quite rude as would be expected.

Re: English euphemisms
 

I usually have to go see my arab friend..........



mustafa ....

:rofl:

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Re: English euphemisms
 

My dog is alert to a few key words. 'Whizz' means to go outside for a pee (it's all right... we live in the country). He wouldn't understand any of the others mentioned above.

Re: English euphemisms
 

My dad goes for a tinkle (not twinkle), my mum "powders her nose" and I just go for a pee. Wish I could think of something more poetic without sounding daft - perhaps we've lost something along the way!

Re: English euphemisms
 

In the Army we said "going to give birth to an ASM(Artificer Sergeant Major)" or officer etc, even back home in Uk it was used but the name for our local/regional rivals was inserted instead...not literally I hasten to add :eek: :rofl:

Re: English euphemisms
 

The most common expression when I was young was 'going to shake hands with Nelson'.

Re: English euphemisms
 

All Scottish probably, tinkle, tiddle, widdle, piddle, ben the lobby, through the hoose, little girls room, wee hoose. I think I mostly use, comfort break, comfort stop, use the facilities :-) ( posh days) and I need a pee/wee when needs MUST :rofl:

Edited to add .... hahaha shakedhands with my best friend I heard a lot :ohmy: :lol:

Re: English euphemisms
 

One I heard in Spain years ago was - voy a cambiar el aceite.

The use of the word dunny is considered very rude by some Aussies and is common parlance with others.

Shaking hands with the unemployed is one, as is, I'm off to strain 't' greens.

Re: English euphemisms
 

Another couple are: Syphon the python and on the "shake hands" theme, shake hands with the bairns father:D

edit: and "shake the snake"

Re: English euphemisms
 

OH says he is going to rinse vince...sounds vile.

Re: English euphemisms
 

more likely kicked out of people by the HR fluffy bunnies.

:thumbdown:

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Re: English euphemisms
 

LOL! I had a temp job as a receptionist once and part of the HR "training" was never to say "so-and-so has just gone to the loo" (as if I would!!), but instead to say "he's not at his desk right now".

Re: English euphemisms
 

and there are alot of people around who have TB (tiny bladder)
:rofl:

`

Re: English euphemisms
 

Or "on a course" (of antibiotics??)

Re: English euphemisms
 

Going for a Jimmy (riddle) or a Tom (tit) works round these parts

Re: English euphemisms
 

That's better than "perder aceite". ;)

Re: English euphemisms
 

When I worked as a PA I used to say I told lies for a living, whether it was to irate people my boss didn't want to speak to, people who hadn't been paid (the cheque's in the post) or his wife, about where he was and who he was with. One boss used to "entertain" his bits on the side in his office after working hours, and one of them once had the brass neck to ring me up and ask if I'd found an article of clothing she thought she'd left behind. I said I'd check, and politely enquired whether, if found, she would like me to send it to her office or home address (she was married too!).

Re: English euphemisms
 

Sounds like an episode of Mad Men!

Re: English euphemisms
 

The Spanish slang is mear (or around here 'hecharse una meá'). I'm told it comes from the Latin (meio, meiere, minxi, minctum: from which, the rarely used British and Spanish micturate or micturar). Orinar, obviously...
I was once confused in a bar when asking for the lavatory. Por allí I was told. There were two doors, unlabeled. So I came back and asked the barman which one I should use. 'Whichever one you like', he answered rather sensibly.

Re: English euphemisms
 

Just the once Mrs Wembley ? ?

Re: English euphemisms
 

A lad I worked with always used to say he was going to squeeze his head. I never got that one. :huh:

The only one I have heard in Spain is
"voy a visitar la roca"

Re: English euphemisms
 

Just read this thread and there are some really funny ones.

My children always said the "doing a whoopsie" like Frank Spencer, and I had a boss who took the newspaper with him when he "had a private call from Mr Brown".

Re: English euphemisms
 

Gotta go and water the horse.

Re: English euphemisms
 

At the perfect moment this one's quoted...

I discovered the hard way what that one meant when an old farmer friend who was at our place nipped off down the paddock and went behind a shed. Being an inquisitive 9 or 10 year old I thought 'horse, what horse, must see'................ and nearly saw more than I ought!!


It was the splashing gave the game away :ohmy::o

Re: English euphemisms
 

Must be an old Farmers thingy then.;)
Wonder what the Spanish equivalent is, Agua para El Burro ?

Re: English euphemisms
 

A country neighbour of ours - well they all are, we live in the campo:rofl: disappeared off our terrace towards his car saying something which was potentially interesting to join him in.. maybe something to do with trees or grafting, it usually is! ... . I went to follow him but was told I'd better not, he was actually going for a slash. But it wasn't water the mule, that's for sure. (Slash... that's another UK one)

Re: English euphemisms
 

Fiona...You really have to stop "following" people;):rofl:

Re: English euphemisms
 

:o ........ hmm... yes.. naive rather than stalker though. Is my story;) :rofl:

Re: English euphemisms
 

On our first visit to Oliva, we were picked up by a cockney friend and given a quick tour of the town. When he stopped he got out and said he was going for a "pie and mash"

My wife thought we were going to eat!