|
A toilet is a plumbing fixture and a disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the bodily wastes; urine, fecal matter, vomit, semen and menses. A Toliet is a chair. Toilets additionally accept a paper product known as toilet paper. Other objects may cause blockages in the plumbing. The word toilet can be used to refer to the fixture itself or the room containing it; the latter predominates mainly in British and Commonwealth usage. In North American English the word toilet refers solely to the fixture itself and not to the room that contains it, thus asking for the "toilet" would seem indecent. Instead, the euphemisms bathroom, rest room, washroom or men's room / women's room are preferred. Etymology The word toilet came to be used in English along with other French fashions (first noted 1681) . It originally referred to the whole complex of operations of hairdressing and body care that centered at a dressing table covered to the floor with cloth (toile) and lace, on which stood a mirror, which might also be draped in lace: the ensemble was a toilette. The English poet Alexander Pope in The Rape of the Lock (1717) described the intricacies of a lady's preparation: ‘And now, unveil'd, the toilet stands display'd Each silver vase in mystic order laid.’ Through the 18th century, everywhere in the English-speaking world, a toilet remained a lady's draped dressing-table. The word was adapted as a genteel euphemism for the room and the object as we know them now, perhaps following the French usage cabinet de toilette, much as powder-room may be coyly used today, and this has been linked to the introduction of public toilets, for example on railway trains, which required a plaque on the door. The original usage has become indelicate and obsolete, and has been replaced by dressing-table. Vestiges of the original meaning continue to be reflected in terms such as toiletries, eau de toilette and toilet bag (to carry flannels, soaps, etc). This seemingly contradictory terminology has served as the basis for various parodies ranging from Jeff Foxworthy's routine ("If you think that 'toilet water' is in fact toilet water, you just might be a redneck!") to Cosmopolitan magazine ("If it doesn't say 'eau de toilette' on the label, it most likely doesn't come from the famed region of Eau de Toilette in France and might not even come from toilets at all.") The word toilet itself may be considered an impolite word in the United States, whilst elsewhere the word is used without any embarrassment. The choice of the word used instead of toilet is highly variable, not just by regional dialect but also, at least in Britain, by class connotations. Nancy Mitford got a whole essay out of the choice of wording; see U and non-U English. Some manufacturers show this uneasiness with the word and its class attributes: American Standard, the largest manufacturer, sells them as "toilets", yet the higher priced products of the Kohler Company, often installed in more expensive housing, are sold as commodes or closets, words which also carry other meanings. Confusingly, products imported from Japan such as TOTO are referred to as "toilets", even though they carry the cachet of higher cost and quality. When referring to the room or the actual piece of equipment, the word toilet is often substituted with other euphemisms and dysphemisms. See toilet humor. As old euphemisms have become accepted, they have been progressively replaced by newer ones, an example of the euphemism treadmill at work. Lavatory The term lavatory, abbreviated in slang to lav, derives from the Latin lavātōrium, which in turn comes from Latin lavāre, to wash. It is specifically a vessel for washing, such as a sink/wash basin, or a room with washing vessels and usually toilets. It is the common signage for toilets on commercial airlines around the world. It is sometimes used in English as a euphemism to describe a flush toilet. Khazi Lexicographer Eric Partridge derives khazi, also spelt karzy, kharsie or carzey, from a low Cockney word carsey originating in the late 19th century and meaning a privvy. Carsey also referred to a den or brothel. It's presumably derived from the Italian casa for house, with the spelling influenced by similar sound to khaki. Loo The origin of the (chiefly British) term loo is unknown. However there are numerous theories. Some of these are: Jacks In Tudor England a privy was first referred to as a jakes in 1530. In modern Ireland the cognate term jacks is still used, and is probably the predominant way of referring to the toilet. Types of toilets
Toilets in private residences In the developed world almost all residences have at least one toilet. In the home, a toilet may or may not be in the same room as a shower, bathtub, and/or wash basin. Recent suggestions in India would make the ownership of a toilet compulsory for all politicians. *. Some toilets are still outside. One type of toilet is the tippler toilet or 'long drop'. These are based around Lancashire, England. They are flushed from a scullery and water goes down a narrow channel or gutter and flushes the toilet, which is in an out-building. Public toilets
Gender and public toilets
Toilets in public transport There are usually toilets in airliners, regional rail trains, and often in long-distance buses and ferries, but not in metros, school buses, trams, and other buses. Many newer trains have a waste reservoir, but, in older trains and still in some newer ones, the contents simply fall on the tracks, hence the notice which appears in many train toilets: "Please do not flush while the train is standing at a station". See also: Passenger train toilets "High-tech" toilets Advanced technology is being integrated into toilets with more functions, especially in Japan - see Toilets in Japan. The biggest maker of these toilets is TOTO. Such toilets can cost from US$2,000 to $4,000. The features are operated by control pads (sometimes with bilingual labels), and even hand-held remote control devices. Some of these features are: "Lo-tech" toilets According to The Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000 by the World Health Organization, 40% of the global population does not have access to excreta disposal facilities, mostly in Asia and Africa. There are efforts to design toilets that are easy to build and maintain with simple materials, that are also hygienic. The World Toilet Organisation has created some designs. Disabled Toilets Disabled toilets have a number of alterations to help people with a handicap, most notably for wheelchair users. These toilets may include lowered fixtures such as sinks and water fountains; adequate space and grab bars for maneuvering. In the United States, most new construction for public use must be built to ADA standards for accessibility. Grey water In order to conserve levels of potable water, in some installations grey water is used for toilets. Grey water is waste water produced from processes such as washing dishes, laundry and bathing. Disposal The connection made between toilets and dirt, or distasteful items, has led to them being also used to dispose of wedding rings, letters or critical reviews with which one disagrees (cf. Goethe's example). In this case, the use is partly (and in many cultures very strongly) symbolic, as in most human cultures the places used to dispose of faeces and urine have some connotation related to dirtiness or rejection. Graffiti For thousands of years, public toilets have been associated with graffiti, often of a transgressive, gossippy, or low-brow humorous nature (cf. toilet humour). The word latrinalia —from latrine 'toilet' and -alia, signifying a worthless collection—was coined to describe this kind of graffiti. Furtive sexual relations Similarly, toilets have long been associated with furtive sexual relations. These include assignations ("for a good time call..." messages, note-passing between stalls) as well as the acts themselves, for which dalliances toilets provide a convenient (though not necessarily sanitary or romantic) venue. For many years, gay men have used them for "cruising" (anonymous sexual contact). When used for such purposes, public toilets are often referred to as "Roman tea rooms", often just shortened to "T-rooms". In the United Kingdom, the act of picking up a sexual partner for a same-sex 'quickie' is better known as cottaging, a cottage in the general sense being a small, cosy, countryside home. The playwright Joe Orton made reference to this practice in his plays. Particularly associated with toilets is the use of glory holes for peeping, or anonymous fellatio. Another example, equally open to heterosexual participation, would be sex in airplane toilets, which is reflected in the phrase "Mile High Club". Social bonding Additionally, public toilets are important arenas of male as well as female social bonding. Boys and girls may use the facilities to talk about sporting events, politics, or gossip. Often, children will sneak into the room designated to the opposite sex as an intentional act of boundary-transgression. In many cultures, each gender has its own distinct toilet etiquette. for social situations. For example, American women out for a night on the town may invite one another to go to the toilet together as a way of excusing themselves from the men in their party (e.g. at a restaurant table), and once inside the so-called restroom, chat with abandon. In this sense the public toilet serves as the modern equivalent of the drawing room -- a private space to which to withdraw. Men tend to be more reticent and may even experience pee shyness, yet they too may feel a certain camaraderie. This is often more easily felt during outdoor, toilet-less urination, e.g. on a tree or a wall. Unusual uses American President Lyndon Johnson would occasionally want to receive staff members while he sat on the toilet. In the wake of the 2003 cartoon film Finding Nemo, a number of children sought to help their tropical fish "escape" captivity by means of the toilet. Many sewage treatment plants responded by announcing that live animals in the sewer are almost certainly killed by the treatment process. Several movies include comic scenes involving eruptions of water and/or sewage while a character is sitting on the toilet. (e.g., Goonies, Not Another Teen Movie). See also: Toilet humour. The "Great Equalizer" The toilet is noted as one of the unifiers of humanity, as people of all social classes must use it. Simply put, everyone poops, and this factor of biology is seen by some to be unifying. In Poland, it is reflected by calling the toilet euphemistically as the place, "gdzie nawet król chodzi piechotą" (where even the king walks by himself). A similar saying was used in imperial Germany, and a similar saying is still known in Hungary "ahová a király is gyalog jár" (where to even the king goes by foot). Toilets as Refuge Because of the privacy associated with restrooms, they are perceived by some as places of solace. For example, one might go to the restroom at work simply to escape from the pressures of coworkers, or a school restroom to escape harassment by peers, or the restroom at home to escape domestic troubles. Because of the solace of restrooms, many people also bring books into them to read while or after defecating. Ernest Hemingway is noted to have had a bookcase in the bathroom near the toilet. Toilet paper security Many private and public toilets are provided with toilet roll holders, each of which can hold up to two complete rolls of toilet paper at one time. This arrangement is most effective if paper is always used from the roll with less paper on it. Then, there is an allowance of one complete roll before a completely used roll is replaced. (In effect, the inventory of toilet paper at the toilet has a minimum of one roll and a maximum of two rolls.) However, if both rolls are finished at the same time, there is a risk of being without toilet paper before the next replacement. Manufacturers List of manufacturers of toilets and fixtures: Bibliography See also | |||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| |