superpeeve Oh my Gawd! - Totally unOfficial Pet Peeve Thread.

[Love Zhaoying]

3 minutes ago, Rolig Loon said:

Or in ...

He's classy!

[Silent Mistwalker]

3 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

My understanding is that in Britain, the "toilet" room is sometimes called (or was in the past), a "Loo", a "Bog", or a "Water Closet".  How is this different?  

In the UK, the toilet is usually located in a separate enclosure within what we call bathrooms., hence water closet. I have to admit in some ways it is more hygienic except the part where you have to use the hands you just wiped with to open the door to get to the sink to wash your hands. Seems to me that kind of defeats that purpose but hey, look at all the privacy!

[Scylla Rhiadra]

21 minutes ago, Rolig Loon said:

Or in ...

Yes!

[Love Zhaoying]

11 minutes ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

In the UK, the toilet is usually located in a separate enclosure within what we call bathrooms., hence water closet.

My understanding was, the W.C. name came about because toilets were added to houses long after the house was built. So, for instance it was put under a stairway in its own "closet".  Like in "Mrs. Brown's Boys".

 

[Kiera Clutterbuck]

52 minutes ago, Rolig Loon said:

1 hour ago, Kiera Clutterbuck said:

I've heard the word 'sunroom' used more often, as opposed to 'greenhouse'. I don't believe I've ever heard such a room referred to as a conservatory here, but I could imagine its usage in the New England area of the US.

I've heard "sunroom" in the Midwest, and I imagine it's common on the west coast. Where I grew up in the northeast, "conservatory" is quite common, but it's hard to find one except in rather large homes. We had one in our home, which was built sometime in the 1910s. My mother kept all sorts of greenery there, including at any time a half dozen shallow jars with avocado pits that were meant to root (but never did).  Anyway, it was a fine place to curl up and tangle with a crossword puzzle.

Yeah I bet the word was floating around in the back of my mind somewhere, knowing I heard it used here. I've known people from the Northeast, or was it in a book, or a TV program?

And those room are quite cozy yes, with all the windows letting in light in the winter, and often many plants.

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

Loo originates from the Anglo-Norman (French) for water: l'eau.

As does Gardyloo, a warning phrase which came from "regarde l'eau!", meaning "watch out for water!".  The "water" being the contents of a bedroom chamber pot, thrown from an upstairs bedroom window.

Edited July 8, 2022 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Kiera Clutterbuck]

40 minutes ago, Rolig Loon said:

59 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

There is just a wee touch of Old Empire contempt for "the colonies" in a lot of these sorts of conversation, I'm finding.

Not unlike the sort of attitude that we hear all too often about regional accents and colloquialisms in the U.S.  If we're kind, we think of their speech as "quaint".  On our worse days, it's how we distinguish among midwestern hicks, Valley Girl airheads, and anyone else we imagine is less learned than we are.

I'm afraid I was developing a rather long "worse day" when thinking about the South, particularly Texas, even though knowing intellectually there are plenty of fine people down there. Until I came across Texas Paul ''gettin' after' one of those bad preachers proliferating like weeds all over the US these days     

 

[Da5id Weatherwax]

19 hours ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

Never offer a Scot anything that isn't single malt!

Here I must politely disagree. It's about enjoying what you're drinking. Single malts are chosen to display the best efforts of a single distillery - in the opinion of their master distillers, who may have a different palate to yours. If the characteristics of a single distillery's output appeal to you, their single malts probably will. If they don't appeal then you'll likely enjoy a reasonable blend more .

Life's too short to drink bad booze, but there are even cheap blends that aren't "bad" to many palates. Single malts are for the whiskey drinkers who have discovered something they really like about that particular distillery and want to consistently get it when they pour a glass from a bottle with that label. Nothign more, nothing less.

[Love Zhaoying]

8 minutes ago, Kiera Clutterbuck said:

I'm afraid I was developing a rather long "worse day" when thinking about the South, particularly Texas, even though knowing intellectually there are plenty of fine people down there. Until I came across Texas Paul ''gettin' after' one of those bad preachers proliferating like weeds all over the US these days     

 

Texas was pretty scary (for LGBT people) when I was growing up there. Having not lived there for almost 35 years, I hope it's better by now than Florida where I live. 

Edited July 8, 2022 by Love Zhaoying

[Kiera Clutterbuck]

1 minute ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Texas was pretty scary (conservative) when I was growing up there. Having not lived there for almost 35 years, I hope it's better by now than Florida where I live. 

I'm not sure which is worse these days   

* Speaking to the erosion of human rights we see in both states.

Edited July 8, 2022 by Kiera Clutterbuck

[Da5id Weatherwax]

12 hours ago, Cinnamon Mistwood said:

Peeve (and probably unpopular opinion)    Music without words.

Do people actually sit around in their homes or in their cars listening to music without words?  For fun?  

What is the point of music if you can sing along, scream, grunt, yodel, yell, whisper, warble, croon or chant?

I don't mind wordless music as background to a movie or when something else is going on at the same time, but just sitting around listening to sounds made by instruments isn't much fun.   I need a story.  I need words.  I need to participate in the music.

There are no words to Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky" but Claire Torry's vocals on it are well worth "sing along, scream, grunt, yodel, yell, whisper, warble, croon or chant?" - IF you have the pipes for it

[Rolig Loon]

10 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Texas was pretty scary when I was growing up there. Having not lived there for almost 35 years, I hope it's better by now than Florida where I live. 

At the risk of drifting into territory that might make the moderators uncomfortable, let's not go there, please.

Edited July 8, 2022 by Rolig Loon

[Love Zhaoying]

1 minute ago, Rolig Loon said:

At the risk of drifting into territory that might make the moderators uncomfortable, let's not go there, please.

Sure. I just meant as a gay/Bi person. Not anything else!

[Love Zhaoying]

Edited my original post, if anyone wants to re-quote it. 

[Rowan Amore]

15 minutes ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

Loo originates from the Anglo-Norman (French) for water: l'eau.

As does Gardyloo, a warning phrase which came from "regarde l'eau!", meaning "watch out for water!".  The "water" being the contents of a bedroom chamber pot, thrown from an upstairs bedroom window.

"There are several theories about the origin of this informal British term for a toilet. The first, and most popular, is that it derived from the cry of 'gardyloo' (from the French regardez l'eau 'watch out for the water'), which was shouted by medieval servants as they emptied chamber pots out of upstairs windows into the street. This is historically problematic, since by the time the term 'loo' is recorded, the expression 'gardyloo' was long obsolete.

A second theory is that the word derives from a polite use of the French term le lieu ('the place') as a euphemism. Unfortunately, documentary evidence to support this idea is lacking.

A third theory refers to the trade name 'Waterloo', which appeared prominently displayed on the iron cisterns in many British outhouses during the early 20th century. This is more credible in terms of dates, but corroborating evidence is still frustratingly hard to find. Various other colourful theories also circulate, involving references to doors numbered '00' or people called 'Looe'."

[Kiera Clutterbuck]

3 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I just meant as a gay/Bi person. Not anything else!

I didn't even think of that, actually growing up in that environment!  Hugs

[Silent Mistwalker]

50 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

It is particularly prevalent in cultures where old class systems are still in evidence. The "Queen's English," as taught at "public schools" and Oxbridge, is a definitive marker in England still of class, wealth, and prestige. A British friend of mine noted just yesterday, in fact, that many of the political, social, and cultural elites of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have Oxbridgean English accents because that is where they were educated.

Canada has relatively few really distinctive regional dialects, Newfoundland being the very strong exception. There is, however, a very distinct classist distinction between educated and relatively less-educated Canadians, with the accent of the latter parodied in things like Bob and Doug Mackenzie's "The Great White North" skits. It's not just about vocabulary or grammar: there is a detectable intonation and lilt associated with the latter.

 

Are you trying to tell me I need to take off, hosehead? 🤣

[Love Zhaoying]

4 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

A third theory refers to the trade name 'Waterloo', which appeared prominently displayed on the iron cisterns in many British outhouses during the early 20th century. This is more credible in terms of dates, but corroborating evidence is still frustratingly hard to find. Various other colourful theories also circulate, involving references to doors numbered '00' or people called 'Looe'."

This reminds me of the old story that the indoor flush toilet was invented by "John Crapper".

[Ayashe Ninetails]

8 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Texas was pretty scary (for LGBT people) when I was growing up there. Having not lived there for almost 35 years, I hope it's better by now than Florida where I live. 

I only visited once, but my friend insisted he bring me to Oak Lawn in Dallas while there (I was staying with him where he lived in Austin - another fairly diverse/chill city and we didn't want to run the risk of ruining the pleasant experience traveling around more hostile areas lol). Oak Lawn was so much FUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNN (primarily gay-owned entertainment district). Had a great time in Houston, too - mostly hit up the art museums and galleries there. Not sure about its social scene, though.

[Silent Mistwalker]

27 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

My understanding was, the W.C. name came about because toilets were added to houses long after the house was built. So, for instance it was put under a stairway in its own "closet".  Like in "Mrs. Brown's Boys".

 

Better link: https://southendplumbingllc.com/why-were-bathrooms-called-water-closets/

 

Water Closet (WC)

The phrase ‘water closet’ arose in England in the 1870s. Originally ‘wash-down closet’, it quickly evolved into the phrase water closet through common usage. Over time, it has simply become ‘WC’. In fact, in some countries such as Mexico WC is widely used on toilet signage, although the majority of the population don’t actually know the derivations of the letters.

https://www.plumbworld.co.uk/blog/what-are-some-alternative-words-for-toilet-and-where-do-they-come-from#:~:text=The phrase 'water closet' arose,has simply become 'WC'.

Edited July 8, 2022 by Silent Mistwalker

[Kiera Clutterbuck]

55 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

with the accent of the latter parodied in things like Bob and Doug Mackenzie's "The Great White North" skits. It's not just about vocabulary or grammar: there is a detectable intonation and lilt associated with the latter.

What was the influence causing that, do you know?

[Rolig Loon]

6 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

A second theory is that the word derives from a polite use of the French term le lieu ('the place') as a euphemism.

And hence a linguistic explanation for why there are no cylindrical outhouses .... "pas de lieu rond connu".

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

Thomas Crapper, not John.

Edited July 8, 2022 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Love Zhaoying]

3 minutes ago, Rolig Loon said:

And hence a linguistic explanation for why there are no cylindrical outhouses .... "pas de lieu rond connu".

Tom Petty had a song that seems appropriate, "Don't come around here no more."

Edited July 8, 2022 by Love Zhaoying

[Scylla Rhiadra]

Just now, Kiera Clutterbuck said:

What was the influence causing that, do you know?

I don't know, actually! I've read a fair bit about Canadian pronunciation generally, which is actually unusually consistent across a really wide geographic expanse. And there is the "open vowel" thing which people often remark upon when they say that Canadian's say "aboot" rather than "about." (I'll note, btw, that Canadians themselves don't hear it that way, because we are of course acclimatized to it.)

But I don't think I've ever ready anything that class distinction in intonation.

Nor about our ubiquitous "eh," which is really a thing. Even I do it.

I'm sure there must be information on it out there.

Interestingly, I've sometimes been mistaken for a Brit by southern Americans. Weird.