To think toilet sounds better than loo?

Mabelthebore · 2024-08-25T13:02:43+00:00

& dessert sounds nicer than pudding? I know some people look down on those who say toilet and dessert but I actually think they sound nicer. I think loo in particular is a horrible word.

MerryMarys · 27/08/2024 08:06

I have a friend called Lou (Louise) who calls it toilet rather than Loo for obvious reasons.

thecatsthecats · 26/08/2024 21:01

After being told off by my mum for asking us if we needed the loo once too often, my dad always asks "does anyone need the facilities?".

Papyrophile · 26/08/2024 20:51

It's loo and pud here. No idea where that places us, and I care even less.

user47 · 26/08/2024 20:44

shitter

Crazycatlady79 · 26/08/2024 20:40

I say loo, but my 6 year old twins say toilet and I inwardly cringe, as hate the latter word.

Shodan · 26/08/2024 19:46

'Poorly' is one of the words (along with moist) which should only be spoken if you're Alan Bennett or can do a passable imitation.

Moist is one of the best words in the English language, imo. And when coupled with 'towelette', makes one of the best phrases in the world.

Never mind your paper napkins or your serviettes. Give me a moist towelette any day.

TheLittleOldWomanWhoShrinks · 26/08/2024 16:18

Calliopespa · 25/08/2024 23:33

Interesting, though, about “ the place” as apparently one theory for the origin of “ loo” is from the French “ le lieu”: the place. So maybe “ the place” was a word for it at sone point …

Show quote history

A twee (and no longer frequently used) German euphemism for it translates as 'the quiet little place'.

ErrolTheDragon · 26/08/2024 14:01

I absolutely detest the word loo. And lav. And pudding. And while I'm at it I also hate lounge, settee, brolly, rads (radiators), serviettes and poorly for feeling ill.

'Poorly' is one of the words (along with moist) which should only be spoken if you're Alan Bennett or can do a passable imitation.

Lucanus · 26/08/2024 13:22

theduchessofspork · 25/08/2024 14:15

Mummie says toilet is a much worse word than fuck

And in this case I agree. It’s just ugly word.

This was Jilly Cooper about 'pardon', not toilet.

Needmorelego · 26/08/2024 13:13

@Bbq1 I have no idea why I started saying it as I am neither a cockney or from the past 😂
Although I often say silly/nonsense words - for example saying "was it poopalicious?" if my child did a spectacularly big 💩.
I think I'm a bit odd 😂

IsThisCluttered · 26/08/2024 13:10

I absolutely detest the word loo. And lav. And pudding. And while I'm at it I also hate lounge, settee, brolly, rads (radiators), serviettes and poorly for feeling ill.

They are all parochial & twee to my ears.

We're not from the UK & say toilet, dessert, sofa, sitting room, umbrella, radiators & napkins

We travel a lot & have a lot of international friends & these words widely recognised & understood.

If I'm in another country in a cafe / bar / restaurant I would ask for directions to 'the ladies toilet' & it's always understood.

We also eat breakfast, lunch & dinner. Tea is a drink or a specific meal as it afternoon tea. Supper is a late night thing usually a snack children have before bed.

newnamethanks · 26/08/2024 12:45

@Calliopespa, Yes I think it comes from soldiers of WW1? WW2? Both? From those who'd served in India/N Africa? Definitely a most unladylike word.

Bbq1 · 26/08/2024 12:04

CornishTeaTime · 25/08/2024 14:36

Agree I hate the word loo (shudders)
In.the US they say... Go potty 😳

Go potty makes me feel sick 🤢

Bbq1 · 26/08/2024 12:03

I use toilet most especially if asking where it is when out but also use loo informally at home a lot. US was an eye opener remembering to ask for restroom /bathroom.

Bbq1 · 26/08/2024 12:01

Needmorelego · 25/08/2024 14:05

I like to say Lav. Or if feeling posh I say Lavatorium 😂

Lav sounds like something a cockney would say in days past!

Calliopespa · 26/08/2024 11:51

newnamethanks · 26/08/2024 11:34

Which reminds me. 'Khazi'. Has that died out now?

I know that as my Dad’s generation ( so those in their 70’s?)

Note I said Dad not mum!

Calliopespa · 26/08/2024 11:50

newnamethanks · 26/08/2024 11:32

French was the language of the Court and aristocracy from 1066 until the mid 1500s wasn't it? So we plebs had to pick up a bit of it. English is a right old mish mash of a variety of 'immigrant'! languages.

Yes. And I think at that time the Normans probably were a bit more sophisticated!

newnamethanks · 26/08/2024 11:34

Which reminds me. 'Khazi'. Has that died out now?

newnamethanks · 26/08/2024 11:32

French was the language of the Court and aristocracy from 1066 until the mid 1500s wasn't it? So we plebs had to pick up a bit of it. English is a right old mish mash of a variety of 'immigrant'! languages.

Calliopespa · 26/08/2024 11:08

99RedBallonz · 26/08/2024 10:51

English working class household. We were brought up using dessert, toilet or loo, and serviette, not that we often used them!

I've never heard anyone irl say lavatory.

Bog was used too, much to my mum's horror.

It's funny that us commoners are looked down on for using French words to sound "posher", when it's clear from these threads that the middle classes are obsessed with avoiding Non U terms. Unless of course everyone here is genuinely upper class, something tells me that's very unlikely however.

That’s a bit what I was thinking too - most of all I was thinking that it was quite “ over-involved” of Nancy Mitford to even put own to paper on it, given the “ U” thing to do was not try overly hard!

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 26/08/2024 10:55

It’s going to depend a lot on what terms you grew up with. My parents thoroughly disliked ‘toilet’ - we had to say ‘lavatory’ but I hated that (connotations of freezing cold loos and hard paper) so once into teens it was always ‘loo’ and has been ever since.

And ‘dessert’ instead of ‘pudding’, was considered (sorry!) somewhat ‘lower class’ in our house, along with net curtains and ‘serviettes’.

99RedBallonz · 26/08/2024 10:51

English working class household. We were brought up using dessert, toilet or loo, and serviette, not that we often used them!

I've never heard anyone irl say lavatory.

Bog was used too, much to my mum's horror.

It's funny that us commoners are looked down on for using French words to sound "posher", when it's clear from these threads that the middle classes are obsessed with avoiding Non U terms. Unless of course everyone here is genuinely upper class, something tells me that's very unlikely however.

Calliopespa · 26/08/2024 10:42

newnamethanks · 26/08/2024 09:01

Loo, from the French l'eau - water, and pudding but not together, thanks. Thinking about it, all our loo related words derive from the French - lavatory from lavage, toilet from toilette, loo as above. The only one we seem to own is Crapper, named after the chap who designed the flushing water closet.

I think lavatory is in fact from Latin more than French and as I understand it there is no consensus about loo.

But the reason we have so many borrowed words is that for a long time French was considered to deal with things more delicately. I’m not sure it did really, and it was more just that it was foreign, so less obvious to English ears. But there’s lots of French words and names that sound sophisticated to our ears but are actually very down to earth and basic. Think Mount Blanc.

Needmorelego · 26/08/2024 10:35

@PedantScorner I said upthread about how I sometimes say "Lavatorium" - I didn't realise it was actually Latin.
I thought I had made it up 😂😂

PedantScorner · 26/08/2024 09:30

You're welcome, @newnamethanks .