(from 2014)
America and the UK have their own distinctive
euphemisms for toilet facilities that must bemuse visitors at times.
For example, Americans might talk of – going to the
bathroom.
(In the UK that is usually where we have a bath)
Or – going to the washroom.
(In the UK that is usually where we have a wash)
Going to the little girl’s room...
(What is that? The nursery?)
But my favorite – going to the rest room.
In Britain that would suggest somewhere where you
might take your shoes off, sit down and have a rest. However, most public “rest
rooms” in the UK are anything but places where you would like to linger.
But there was a great anecdote in a letter in
today’s Times newspaper that prompted these comments. Here it is in full:
Sir, Your mention
in today’s
leader of the American euphemism “rest room” reminds me of a story I
heard when I was researching a book on Holy Trinity Church, Stratford,
Shakespeare’s burial place. An American woman approached a new volunteer
working with the crowds of visitors to the grave and asked him where the rest
room was. “We don’t have one,” was his reply. “Just use one of the pews.”
Further on the subject of euphemisms, I always thought that “loo” was a corruption of the French "gardez l'eau" - called out when people emptied chamber pots out of windows. But a Google search has wasted a pleasant half hour showing a variety of possibilities, most dating back to just after the First World War.
ReplyDeleteNever mind, I’ll just go and powder my nose instead. And no - that does not mean I am snorting cocaine in the rest room...