Toilet Humour
There are driers in our office toilets. Not in the actual toilets, that would be an electrical hazard, but in the bathroom.
I often think that we should use the American word bathroom, rather than name a whole area after a shitter. “Office toilets” sound like some executive gizmo for today’s modern professional - “the Poomaster 3000″.
Anyway, on the toilet wall (again, ewww) there is a handdrier made by a company called “Watrous”, with the name in big bold capital letters.
I am not sure how to pronounce it - it looks Flemish.
“Your grandfather fought with the Fifth King’s Light Green Howards in the Battle of Watrous. Gassed, he was. Never spoke a word about it.”
But I like to think it’s phonetic spelling of a Monty Python French accent. I can see Terry Jones in a restaurant sketch going:
“Errrr, watrous. Ah woould lahhhk to see ze managerrrrrrr. Zees ees the wurrrrst meal I have everrrr had in my miserabul exeeestonce…. Although you are a very luvleeeee watrous. You stupid woman, etc.”
Tell you what is funny. French people who can’t speak English doing American accents. They talk very loudly and go “Walla walla wallagon coney walla”, which sounds not far off if you can unfocus your ear, because “walla coney wallagon” are not sounds you typically hear in French.
Look, about yesterday. Honesty may be the shortest distance between two people, but a laugh will still get you there twice as fast.
And we’re back - have a good weekend.
February 9th, 2007 at 10:12 am
You talking about toilet walls reminds me of some graffiti I saw in my office car park this morning.
It said: “Mike smells nice”.
February 9th, 2007 at 10:15 am
The problem with the word “bathroom” is that it suggests that there would be a bath in it. Now, I’m all for baths in offices (”Janine, cancel my 2:30. I have an emergency meeting with a rubber duck.”) but at present, it’s quite rare (though I expect that Google have them).
I propose a new word for the purpose. Hygienarium would do nicely, n’est pas?
February 9th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Watrous does indeed sound Flemish. I can just hear my Dutch friend pronouncing it in his unmistakeably peculiar Dutch accent. He also says “On the moment” instead of “at the moment”, which is quite charming.
“Mike smells nice” puts me in mind of the now infamous scrawling on a wall between London Bridge and Waterloo East - “Big Dave’s Gusset”.
Hygienarium sounds like the penultimate stop before the gas chamber, though. I still think loo, as in “Staff Loos” works best, considering its etymology remains shrouded in mystery.
February 9th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
I do smell quite fragrant, wasn’t aware that it was a worldwide phenomenom
Cliff - I see you were thinking of putting up pictures (RSS feed had it, but maybe you decided to withdraw the posting later - weird eh) - go for it.
And, despite it being quite on the comment front know that you’re being read widely (and wildly) in New Zealand
February 10th, 2007 at 12:28 am
There are some weird Americanisms for the loo though.
I mean who wants to go for a dump in “the head”? And “restroom”? Would you want to rest there? And “Washroom “? That is only half of what it’s used for.
Toilet is a slightly unpleasant sounding word but it’s honest, perhaps lavatory is better?
Personally I’m with Jann, Loo is best. It’s a little odd but is it from the French “lieu” (via Latin) meaning “the place”?
I like the sound of it, “I’m off to the place!”
Plus it rhymes with number two!
February 10th, 2007 at 12:37 am
Hi Mike, good to hear from you again! I put up a pic as a test. That’s going up on Sunday, now. You’re really on the ball.
Hello wild readers in NZ (including Mike if he’s back there).
Welcome Fatman and hey again to Jann, Pete and Wendy. Visit each others blogs - they are all great.
February 10th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
I read with interest!!! I agree with the loo also. Sorry I have no interesting graffiti to pass comment on.
February 11th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Back in NZ and getting to see all the Web action that happens in th dead of night as it’s the dead of day here