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General discussion

a linguitics question

by jonah jones May 26, 2007 8:55PM PDT

in the UK, it's called a potty is the same term used in the US?

and now, what do you call the same item when it's used with older or infirmed people?

in the UK, for the bed ridden it was called "bed pan" (used for either of the body functions) and if used by the elderly as "chamber pot" or "night bowl" and "night jar"


jonah

.,

Discussion is locked

1 - 30 of 38 Posts
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Well, first of all let's
by drpruner. May 26, 2007 9:03PM PDT

deal with "linguistics". Happy

"Potty", to me, is a kid's word for "toilet". (Which, in UK, is the whole process of "morning ablutions" as they used to say.)

"Bed pan" is still what's brought around by orderlies in hospitals.

"Chamber pot" is what I read when Dickens' characters go potty.

BTW, I don't live in the US either - I live in New Mexico. Happy

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I have a book....
by Angeline Booher May 27, 2007 4:34AM PDT

.... my family gave me when they lived in Mew Mexico.

It's still packed away, but the title was something like, "New Mexico Is One of the 50 States". Happy

Lots of fun tales in it.

Angeline
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email
semods4@yahoo.com

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Yep. And the true tales
by drpruner. May 27, 2007 6:16AM PDT

make a sad commentary on US education.

I think I've already mentioned that our license plates are careful to say, "New Mexico USA".

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I've seen bumper stickers on cars with NM licenses
by Dave Konkel [Moderator] May 31, 2007 12:14PM PDT

saying something similar, Angeline. And I think I remember seeing a vanity plate with "one of the 50 states" at the bottom instead of
"Land of Enchantment!"

-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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Ahhh... Ye Olde Chamber Pot
by JP Bill May 27, 2007 4:55AM PDT

Chamber pot used to make Chamber music

Compositions traditionally intended for performance in a private room and written for one player . Wink

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So ...
by drpruner. May 27, 2007 6:19AM PDT

The fruit is musical.

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Location, location, location
by Steven Haninger May 26, 2007 10:45PM PDT

Perhaps what it's called is somewhat dependent on where it's found. A "chamber" was a room. Thus, a chamber pot would mean it's found in a room. Doubtful would a proper person place it in a gathering or eating area...the operative word being "proper". Thus, terms that alluded to a function or article of necessity were used rather than a verbose description. "Vulgar" terms were also invented...perhaps just to be defiant and bring on a blush from someone...i.e toilet versus crapper. Tell a young person today that a woman is "with child" and see what their response is. I'll bet most won't even know it means to be pregnant. My amateur response here. Happy

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And, if you went to UK to visit Jonah,
by drpruner. May 27, 2007 4:09AM PDT

you would "knock him up".

And why would any decent person call it "the loo"? Happy

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Why?
by JP Bill May 27, 2007 4:47AM PDT

Loo? Short for WaterLOO, you know water closet?

For the same reason they refer to the toilet as "the bog", and toilet paper as "bog roll" Wink

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Eeewwww!
by drpruner. May 27, 2007 6:12AM PDT

Say, aren't those "little blue people" - Jonah's ancestors - known for their ... bog burials? Happy

Speaking of euphemisms, I recall an essay on Scott's fatal Antarctic expedition which digressed into dealing with calls of nature in such an environment. The writer mentioned an American article on the same topic which referred to that as "going to the bathroom", as we Yanks are fond of saying. Even in cases where there isn't a actual WC in sight.

Somewhat related: One of our family's favorite sitcom jokes was on George Lopez' show. He and his wife were discussing the social life of their pubescent daughter, and the wife mentioned her developing "breasts". George said, "Eewww! Don't be vulgar. Call them 'chee-chees'." Which is exactly how my wife and I were raised! Happy

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waterLOO?
by jonah jones May 27, 2007 12:37PM PDT

i thought it was from the French l'eau?

jonah "showers in the bathroom" jones

Happy

.,

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(NT) and why call it "the john"?
by jonah jones May 27, 2007 1:01PM PDT
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Ancient inscription was misread
by drpruner. May 28, 2007 8:11PM PDT

and the error stuck.

Should have been "jonah".

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To add one.....
by Angeline Booher May 27, 2007 4:37AM PDT
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the toilet
by James Denison May 28, 2007 1:05AM PDT

the pot
the bowl
the commode
poop chute
the crapper
the *******
the shitcan

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(NT) The throne...the porcelain oracle
by JP Bill May 28, 2007 1:38AM PDT
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(NT) the big white phone
by jonah jones May 28, 2007 3:52AM PDT
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lol
by James Denison May 28, 2007 7:45AM PDT

sometimes I say, "my constitution is acting up, be back after I pass an amendment"

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(NT) The Library
by Angeline Booher May 28, 2007 3:23AM PDT
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and if you need to get in there....
by James Denison May 28, 2007 7:52AM PDT

....and someone else just beat you to it, they turn it into the place of eternal repose.

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(NT) The Terlet.........Archie Bunker
by JP Bill May 28, 2007 3:53AM PDT
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Eight years in the Navy, and no one
by drpruner. May 28, 2007 8:19PM PDT

ever told me why we called it "the head".

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just a guess
by James Denison May 28, 2007 10:30PM PDT

maybe because new sailors spent so much time with their head in the toilet blowing chunks?

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Like most Naval terms....... Ye Olde Days?
by JP Bill May 28, 2007 10:47PM PDT
A very unusual word to civilians is head. In the Navy, head is a word of relief. Civilians interpret the word to mean a part of the body, or it can mean the chief of an organization. However, to the Navy this is far from what it means. A head is a restroom. A place a sailor can go to relieve himself. Navy has had a long history calling their restroom a head. This definition comes from the Age of Sail, when restrooms were located at the head of the ship, thus becoming its name.

the "terlet" was at the front/head (the pointy end) of the boat. Wink
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Fishing Trip 2002
by James Denison May 28, 2007 11:21PM PDT
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My (one and only) sea story
by JP Bill May 28, 2007 11:40PM PDT

In the 60s I was in the Canadian Army.

They had an exercise involving movement of troops from Gagetown, NB to Argentia, Newfoundland. We left Gagetown, drove to Halifax NS and boarded frigates and a provision ship to Argentia.

The seas were so bad that no one was allowed on deck and all hatches were sealed. I didn't get sick but I didn't eat very much either. Back then they issued "tot"( a drink of rum) daily. Some including me didn't "feel like" drinking and gave our tot to the sailors. I still remember the sight of sailors walking down the passageway with a large glass almost filled to the brim with rum, in extremely rough seas. And not spilling a drop.

They also used to place a slice of bread under their dinner plates to stop the plate from sliding all over the table, because of the rough seas.

On the return trip I was in the provision ship, (much larger) and the sea was much calmer.

Here's a one liner

I went overseas in a blood vessel Wink

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Seems I read some time ago
by Dragon May 29, 2007 6:31AM PDT

I read once that in the olden days, they made the table so it stayed level. I don't remember now how that was accomplished.

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here's one from the "new" days
by jonah jones May 29, 2007 1:03AM PDT

on a trip from melbourne to tasmania and back

http://www.beans-around-the-world.com/melstation.html

overnight on the first znd 6 hours!! in the second (the devil cat "will not leave the harbour if the waves reach 12 metres" and i thought and if they reach 11.90 metres?


an amazing ride!

.,

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So THAT'S what the pointy end is!
by drpruner. May 29, 2007 4:55AM PDT

However: A known common location for the actual "drop point" was [logically] at the other end, over the natural overhang at the stern. Eric hasn't convinced me.

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On old sailing warships...
by J. Vega May 29, 2007 11:10AM PDT

On old sailing warships, between the figurehead on the bow and the main hull were head rails, held up by head timbers. See the drawing of a Frigate of 1768 in the book The Lore of Ships (pg. 32). I have seen pictures of an outhouse-type seating for the same purpose in the head/rail timbers area at the bow.

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