Loos and other lavatorial niceties

[John Walton]

No: HPFGUIDX 8523

Scott said:

> PS:As to those changes you mentioned...IMO at least "loo" is a much
> nicer term than "taking a pee" and far more appropriate than
> "BATHroom".  Most Americans however only only give me quizical look
> and say "What's that?"...

I was given a copy of "Debrett's New Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners:
The Indispensible Handbook" on the occasion of my 18th birthday, and it has
this to say on the proper lavatorial appelations:

"Only the other day a woman was overheard in a supermarket remarking about
her son's fiancee: 'She's a nice girl, but I wish she wouldn't say
"toilet".' Of all spoken solecisms, toilet remains the worst crime. Lavatory
and loo are the acceptable alternatives."

It later says (although I don't have a direct quote) that one should never
utter what it calls "active verbs of bodily function" such as pee, poo, etc.
Rather, one should use the less specific "go to/use the loo/lavatory". It
says that the rather quaint "spend a penny" has fallen out of direct usage.

Of course, most of what Debrett's says needs to be taken with a large pinch
of salt. Aunt Petunia probably has a copy, for instance. Just a wee
diversion (sorry about the pun...).

--John

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John Walton     john at walton.to

I didn't vote for his daddy either.
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