AIBU about the word 'shit'?

[autumndaisie]

I am quite relaxed about swearing, but AIBU to think the word shit should not be used to describe actual poo?

So in a hospital saying "Mrs J may need help clearing up, it smells of poo out there" is okay but not "Mrs J smells of shit?"

Or is shit okay to say?

The reason I am asking is because I've heard someone use the word shit to describe poo three times this week and don't know whether to tell them to stop. (In othef words I am not the poo troll!)

Why would you need to elaborate why you were going to the loo, Fresh? I hate over sharing in the shite department. Nobody else cares.

That entire sentence in any form is unacceptable in hospital or care.

'Could you check if Mrs S needs the bathroom?'
'Could you assist Mrs S to clean up?'
'I think we should maybe check Mrs S is OK'.
'Could you get some air freshener?'

It stinks of shit, poo whatever is not OK.

Just realised you were only using hospital as an example!! Oops!

I have no problem with the word shit. It is not offensive, although there might be some situations where it might be better to phrase things differently.

You could say going for a crap, doing a poo, taking a dump, going for a number 2 etc.

Why not just call a shit a shit though?

Poo is a bit twee but I honestly can't see what's wrong with shit or piss.

MIL uses the phrases, 'little toilet' for number ones and 'big toilet' for number twos. Therefore, "I need to go to the big toilet" means she wants to have a shit,, took me a while to understand what the hell she meant.

My mil used to say in reference to a pooey nappy, "I think he's left you a parcel in his napkin"

All depends on context OP, you would ask a potty training toddler if they needed a poo for example. That's not twee.

Lots of people find the word shit offensive.

I overheard an Australian commenting that 'It smells like someone's shit themselves' and was shocked. Not language I'd expect to hear in a naice holiday!

I don't know anyone personally who'd use it to describe what they were doing in the bathroom, and I'm always faintly shocked on here when people do. I swear a lot but hate people saying "going for a shit" etc.

I looked for synonyms for faeces and found this, so I thought we could all choose one and use it and see what people's reactions are.

excrement, bodily waste, waste matter, ordure, dung, manure, scat; excreta, stools, droppings; dirt, filth, muck, mess; informal poo, doo-doo, doings, turds, caca; informal cack, whoopsies, jobbies; informal poop; vulgar slang crap, shit; archaic night soil; rare egesta, feculence

I think I am going to go with "feculence" or maybe "jobbies" if I am feeling more informal.

I have a very proper friend who doesn't swear, but uses the words shit, piss and fuck in their proper context. I find it quirky and rather sweet, tbh.

I'm not sure that it's appropriate in a professional context though, tbh.

😂 I’d forgotten jobbies. Heard that a lot growing up.

Cockney Dh likes saying "having a pony" (pony and trap)

Reminds me of my German friend-who is very polite and never swears- telling me she told someone at work that her cats had "pissed all over her couch". She said she got a funny look and was surprised when I told her that was a bit more of a crude way to say it than wee-ed or pee-ed!

Kait....that made me laugh.**

The trouble is, there are no good alternatives. Other words either sound infantile or overly formal and scientific.

Use words like faeces if it is something you need to refer to professionally and words like poo around children, but in adult conversation, shit is the only option.

It is very difficult to think of a situation you would need to refer to it other than professionally or to children so if you are worried about being rude, it's best not to mention it at all.

There is no polite way of saying an impolite message so either say it stinks of shit(e) or don't say anything at all. Saying it smells pooey sounds childish.

Shit is a perfectly normal word for a perfectly normal human function.

Saying that a person you are caring for smells of shit is tactless, unkind, impolite and unprofessional, even if true. You need a pleasant euphemism to wrap up the unpleasant fact that Mrs S has shat herself, especially if Mrs S is oblivious.

This is one of the hypocrisies of the lovely, wonderfully subtle English language