Hacker News Reader

Hacker News

Comment by chrisseaton | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

chrisseaton

It's a euphemism.

View on HN

English seems to have an extraordinary number of euphemisms for "that room":

Bathroom. Restroom. Water Closet. Loo. Bog. Khazi. John. Privy.

I wonder if other languages have such an array of words for a toilet, and how much confusion they cause for foreigners.

"Bathroom" and "restroom" are only used in American English. In other English-speaking countries, a bathroom contains a bath, and a restroom sounds like somewhere to go if you're tired.

"Toilet" is also a euphemism, it's Middle French for a type of cloth.

So is "lavatory", it means wash room.

I can't think of a word that isn't vulgar or a euphemism.

"Toilet" is not a euphemism:

"Toilet" was by etymology a euphemism, but is no longer understood as such. As old euphemisms have become the standard term, they have been progressively replaced by newer ones, an example of the euphemism treadmill at work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet#Contemporary_Use

"Crapper" is not a euphemism. It's the name of the man who invented the siphonic flush toilet:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Crapper

You forgot:

Washroom. Lavatory. Outhouse. Mens' room. Little girls' room room. Potty. Half bath. And many more (mostly NSFHN).

I suspect there's a deep reason for all the different words, probably because of the basic nature of what goes on within such rooms. I wouldn't be surprised if other languages have the same profusion of synonyms.

> I wonder if other languages have such an array of words for a toilet, and how much confusion they cause for foreigners.

Let me try in Spanish: servicio, baño, excusado, w.c, mingitorio, tigre (this is slang)

Do you think our culture is going to be uplifted somehow if we all switch to calling it "the shitter"?

In Portuguese, "banheiro" uses the exact same euphemism as bathrooms.

How can you then refer to the rooms that actually have something where then somebody can take a bath?

I'm serious, not a native speaker.

You'd say shower or bath. Truck stops often advertise "showers" for instance.

Even better, the showers will sometimes be free, on the condition that you buy so-and-so many gallons of diesel, or eat a meal at the restaurant.

If you're in public and ask for a bathroom, it's assumed that you are looking for a toilet and not looking for a bath. I have never had to ask for a place with a bath in public - if I need a bath then I'm at a house or a hotel where I can find it.

>How can you then refer to the rooms that actually have something where then somebody can take a bath?

Brace yourself: in the US and from what I've seen of the UK, the toilet and the shower are in the same room.

Interesting. In my part of the world a bathroom must contain either a shower or a bathtub and a toilet (or a WC) must contain a toilet bowl. In the article the word toilet was used in the title, switching to the "bathroom" in the text was confusing.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com