Zrs70 From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 2872 posts, RR: 10 Posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 4101 times:
Where else besides airplanes is the word "lavatory" found? Is it used because it is less crass that other words? Does it mean a small bathroom? What is the history/ origin?
Goose From Canada, joined Aug 2003, 1840 posts, RR: 17 Reply 1, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 4048 times:
I think the wording has something to it.
lav·a·to·ry ( P ) Pronunciation Key (lv-tôr, -tr)
n. pl. lav·a·to·ries
- A room equipped with washing and often toilet facilities; a bathroom.
- A washbowl or basin, especially one permanently installed with running water.
- A flush toilet.
Sounds pretty right-on to me........ and it's descended from Latin "to wash."
Trident3 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2001, 1012 posts, RR: 3 Reply 2, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 3998 times:
In England you'll finf the word Lavatoryis used quite a lot, either to refer to the throne itself or to the room that contains it. It is fully interchangeable with toilet.
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Deltaffindfw From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 1383 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 3968 times:
Why would you call it a bathroom - there is no bath in there?? And I never understood the term 'restroom'. Personally, I wouldn't want to take a nap there.
AirJamPanAm From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 248 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 3893 times:
Let me add my 2 cents to this...ALL over the UK and Europe the use "toilet" very, very freely.
You ask for a restroom or bathroom, you may get asked twice!
Personally I always think toilet sounds a little vulgar, but that's just me.
I think that may be the origin of restroom, to be a little more "gentile"
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Slamclick From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 10062 posts, RR: 71 Reply 6, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 3862 times:
Used to be common in the airline biz in the US to call it the "biffy." Don't know the origin of that word. The lav service truck is sometimes called the "turd hearse." Lots of euphemisms for this necessary including calling it the "necessary."
Walking around London you often see signs in upstairs windows saying
TO LET
After a careless reading of those signs my sister wondered why they always seemed to have the bathroom upstairs.
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AirJamPanAm From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 248 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 3844 times:
Slamclick that is too funny!!!!!
The British often remind Us Non Brits we are not the only English speakers and spellers!
AHHHH vive le difference or however that's spelled!
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PiedmontGirl From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 1124 posts, RR: 14 Reply 13, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 3754 times:
Along with biffy, airline people used to also call the lavs blue rooms. That term came from the blue DD&D (dye, disinfectant, and deodorant) solution in the toilets.
Planemaker From Tuvalu, joined Aug 2003, 5481 posts, RR: 34 Reply 14, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 3690 times:
The word 'loo' is a bastardization of the french word "l'eau" (they sound similar). The origin of its use is in Elizabeathan times when the second floor jutted out over the road. When people were about to empty their chamber pots at night onto the road below they would shout out "regardez l'eau" to warn stragglers from the local pub that an aerial bombardment was about to be launched.
[Edited 2004-01-07 21:45:46]
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AirJamPanAm From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 248 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 3649 times:
Planemaker.. You are shi**ng me?
I have never heard that before!
WOW
Who knew?
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GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12707 posts, RR: 80 Reply 17, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 3628 times:
It is a source of some amusement that such innocuous words like 'Lavatory or 'Toilet' are seen to be coarse in the US, hence the terms 'Restrooms' or 'Bathrooms' which for the most part are not even accurately describing the facilities, certainly not on aircraft.
I've heard 'Whiffies' used to describe aircraft toilets in the US, probably accurate in the pre-vacuum days.
Think 'Toilet' is a bit strong, try some of these;
Bog, Crapper (after the inventor of the flush toilet, Thomas Crapper), Shithouse, Khazi, Thunderbox' to name a few.
Prinair From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 744 posts, RR: 3 Reply 18, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 3515 times:
When EA received the first A300s back in 77-78 the lavatories had been labeled as "toilets" by Airbus.
EA received many complaints and the signs were changed to "Lavatories".
Richierich From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 4022 posts, RR: 6 Reply 20, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 3376 times:
Not that this has any bearing on the matter, but Metro North (my local railroad here in suburban NY) calls them "toilets". Personally, they are absolutely disgusting and you wouldn't want to be in the same car (carriage in UK) as one.
As for aircraft, I think you'd have to agree that "lavatory" is just simply the nicest term possible for what its function is. Having a sign on the door that says "Shitcan" or "Piss Receptacle" would be just plain weird - I guess toilet would be OK except that Americans find that a bit impolite. That word would be like showing up at a fancy ball saying "I need to use the crapper" - not good. Besides, there is more to do than just use the toilet in there. There is a mirror, diaper changing table (aka 'mile-high quickie pad'), and a shaver outlet, as well as feminine napkins, tissues and various soaps. Oh the fun you can have in a lavatory!
EI A330-200 From Sweden, joined Apr 2001, 409 posts, RR: 5 Reply 21, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 3336 times:
Well, here is the origin of the word. Lava is taken from the latin to clean and -tory meaning room (ie dormatory for bedroom, lavatory for bathroom). I can't believe that no one posted this before. And I think that Lavatory is better than Bathroom or Restroom. Sounds better!
Bd1959 From Australia, joined Oct 2002, 450 posts, RR: 2 Reply 23, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 3278 times:
Australians called a wooden box in the Outback used for ablutions "the dunnie".
Personally, I think standardisation has gone too far and since QANTAS call their 744s "Longreach" (another outback "label") then the lavs in them should also be "Dunnies" - box, outback !!
Olympus69 From Canada, joined Jun 2002, 1737 posts, RR: 8 Reply 24, posted (9 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days ago) and read 3216 times:
In Canada we normally use the term Washroom for public toilets.
25 FoxBravo: It's interesting, while "lavatory" is pretty common in the U.K., it is rarely used in the U.S. outside of the context of aircraft. Kind of like how "h
26 CanadianNorth: I ussually just call it "the can", and call the toilet paper the "bog roll".... Occasionally I'll call the can the crapper too... CanadianNorth
27 USAIRWAYS321: "Lavatory" sounds better than "shitter," although that's what most WN passengers probably call it anyway. Brett
28 Crosswind: As best I remember, this is the derivation of Loo. Before sanitation in arrived in Britain, some time around the 15th century, it was common to go to
29 Planemaker: Crosswind: FYI, we posted very similar posts (no. 14). You are correct that it is some dictionaries. I checked it out after a visit to Scotland. While
30 PROSA: Not that this has any bearing on the matter, but Metro North (my local railroad here in suburban NY) calls them "toilets". Personally, they are absolu
31 Slamclick: My mother always called an outhouse a "chicsale" from the vaudeville performer named Chic Sale who had a famous routine about building outhouses. I on
32 MarcJet66: For Portuguese and other Latin based languages the word lavatory makes perfect sense , because we have the verb to wash which is "lavar" in Portuguese
33 Dasheighty: Lav, loo, gardyloo,toilet,restroom, lavatory, bathroom on an airplane still means the same result.....Cramped!
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