I'm in Oregon for a week helping a church. But when I return I'll fill you in. Plus, I have another post up my sleeve about bathrooms, clothing stores, and tall people.
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about me
- ckjolly
- not one to be lumped in with everyone else, i enjoy being different: i laugh when i ought to cry, i run off the sides of mountains, i can't answer the question 'where are you from?', i told my husband i loved him before i met him, and i'm a woman who is doing her part to reverse the negative trends of extreme feminism. i seek to encourage my brothers-in-Christ, and discuss ways in which women can do the same.
15 comments:
Heh - now we can talk about her behind her back...
Reminds me of the post that got me interested in your blog. It had to do with disappearing clothes and streaking across a very conservative college campus. Too funny!
That will be interesting - an American talking about Bathrooms. Will the post be about toilet jokes or will it be about Dulux bath towels?
You know, my wife and I are reasing a seeing-eye puppy, and for her time-out place we were told to find a spot in the house that's small and confined, and if possible, cold. So naturally we chose the toilet.
The problem comes when we're trying to explain "time out" to family back at home and we say "yeah, she was quite horrible today so she's in the toilet right now." At which point we get snickers.
Not sure how toilets came into the conversation.
Americans (as you know) refer to the room with a toilet in it as "the bathroom". Maybe there's a linguist out there to explain why ;-) It amuses me to have an American tourist ask me (in the middle of the city) where the nearest "bathroom" is.
Woah a sec did I read "streaking across a Bible college"? Can I have an explaination or at least the link to this post...?
Marion, I suppose that since the little room with the toilet often also contains a tub or shower (dual purpose) it has come to be known as "the bathroom". Seems pretty reasonable to me but then I grew up here :)
Americans have a distinction between what we call a "full bathroom" and a "half bathroom." A full bath has a toilet, a sink, and either a shower or bathtub or both. A half bath has only a toilet and a sink. Usually, full bathrooms are attached or near the bedrooms (and are therefore used for all purposes), and half bathrooms are near the public areas of the house (and are meant to be used by guests). I think it is perfectly reasonable to refer to a full bath as a bathroom (since that is mostly what it is for), but it DOES technically seem more appropriate to call a half bath something other than a "bathroom" since no actual bathing occurs there. I also think there's a perception that it's somehow classier to call it by a vague name that obscures its unattractive purpose. We also use the word "restroom" a lot, and some women are taught to excuse themselves using cutesy, euphemistic phrases like "I need to powder my nose." Very strange when you think about it...
A half bath is where one has only a sink to bathe in and therefore can only wash half of themself. "Powder room" is also used for a half bath and I never could figure out the "restroom" thing. I never went in there to rest, just to get it over with and get out, especially those public ones. Although...
We went camping at a state park once and a huge group of French teens came in one night. There must have been twenty or more and they only set up a couple of two-man tents. When I got up in the night to relieve myself there were people sleeping on the ground outside and the floor inside the public restroom. I had to step over and around both girls and boys to get into the stall. Apparently they took the "rest" seriously.
I'd rather laugh than cry: all that drama
that's for you Mike
If the conversation were to go further, I could talk about the design of toilets in north america branded "American Standard" and why you have a plunger next to them ready. We often do without the plunger in Australia.
Hey Christine,
Spank you very much for the magnet. It's very attractive.
-Shiloh
Mart! I never heard that story before? How funny! Was this while we were growing up and camping...or was it later after you had married and moved out?
Let's just say I'm glad I wasn't the one who needed to "relieve myself" during middle of the night on that camping trip.
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