The term "powder room"

[Anonymous]

Hi, I think I may have been the person in OP's post who, on another thread, said the term "powder room" was "suburban." I had no idea it would create such a stink (sorry)!

If I had known my word choices would become such a big deal, I might have been a little more careful.... I probably should have said that "powder room" is "middle class" but as I recall it wouldn't have been clear in the context of the thread which was about suburbia. Sure, there's some overlap between "suburban" and "middle class" but it isn't perfect and, well, if I had known, I would have been more precise.

As another poster already pointed out, euphemisms are a mark of middle class language. Like "passed away" instead of "died." The people I know who come from old families, including parts of my own family, have very strong opinions (I kid you not) about saying "died" and not being prudish about body functions. I don't think using "died" is necessarily a religious vs. non-religious distinction, instead it seems more a class distinction.

FWIW, the Brits, who are much more class-ridden than us, make similar class distinctions about lavatories vs. toilets, napkins vs. serviettes, et cetera. Or at least this was true several decades ago when Nancy Mitford wrote about "U vs. non-U" language.

Of course, simply worrying about your language is itself very middle class, which makes all of us, including me, guilty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: The people I know who come from old families, including parts of my own family, have very strong opinions (I kid you not) about saying "died" and not being prudish about body functions.

All families may not be equally prominent, but surely they are equally old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: The people I know who come from old families, including parts of my own family, have very strong opinions (I kid you not) about saying "died" and not being prudish about body functions.

All families may not be equally prominent, but surely they are equally old.

Well yes. But you probably recognized the expression which is well known.

[Anonymous]

Wait a minute, I grew up with a powder room but I'm not snooty, for instance, I say vase with a long a, but what's this, I'm not supposed to poop in anyone's powder room? How nuts is that? Instead I'm supposed to tell my hosts that I need to use the upstairs bathroom because I have to go number 2? Or do I hold it? This is nuts! My childhood power room was a full-use, one-stop facility! Isn't everyone's?

Seriously, you power roomsters who don't want anyone using your powder room for Number 2, what is the expectation?

[Anonymous]

The expectation is that you would use the powder room to pee, then wash your hands and reapply lip gloss and/or check your face for spinach in your teeth.


(this assumes the dinner party model).

Look, everyone who has ever taken a dump in her life knows that sometimes, you can wait a while because you just have that little twinge. And sometimes, it's very urgent like NOW. So if you're just having the take-it-or-leave-it twinge in your bowels .... the expectation is that you don't stink up the dinner party by taking a sizeable shit 10 feet away from the party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who defecates in the first floor bathroom? Seriously, I don't do this at my own house and I would never take a dump in someone else's powder room. Gross.

What do you do when you got to go and you're at someone's dinner party? Go home? Use the back yard? Take yourself to their master bath?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who defecates in the first floor bathroom? Seriously, I don't do this at my own house and I would never take a dump in someone else's powder room. Gross.

What do you do when you got to go and you're at someone's dinner party? Go home? Use the back yard? Take yourself to their master bath?

I think the backyard would be the appropriate thing to do given the circumstances. Just okay it with the family guinea pig first since we wouldn't want him eating your delicious poop for dinner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless I am staying for an extended overnight visit I NEVER crap in anyone else's house. That is frickin' weird.

Do u all have serious GI issues that you'd poop at somebody's hose during a dinner visit or BBQ???! Nasty!

I always wondered about the ppl that crap in bars.

If I have to "move my bowels" I'm gonna do it anywhere there's a toilet that flushes and a sink to wash my hands. Holding that toxic digested stew inside your body when you need to "evacuate" is even nastier. No hang ups here. If you have a problem with it spray some Glade or light a match. Yeesh.

Nasty!

Nasty? How old are you???
My SIL has Crohn's, she goes to the bathroom 8 times a day, and she can't hold it in for too long, otherwise she'd crap her pants.
So if you can make it through a dinner visit without having to crap in the guest's house, consider yourself lucky!

[Anonymous]

Either way, just don't take a dump in the powder room (or any bathroom on the first floor close to a common area or kitchen) if there are any other bathrooms in the house or if people will be home until the stench dissipates. I mean, seriously, really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

so what is low class about the term "passed away"?

I always associate this euphemism -- or worse, "he passed" -- with overtly religious people who seem to fear science and kind of deny reality. Who also tend not to be intellectuals.

You know Walter, he just passed on to the other side and he's sittin' up there now, playing the harmonica with Jesus and smiling down on us. I know he'll be rootin' for the Skins this Sunday.

...but I'll bet they are nicer and more kind hearted than you! Hope your intellectualism keeps you warm at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You hold your poop? Seriously? This is fascinating and incredibly bizarre. Encopresis can lead to loss of function of your sphincter. In other words, being afraid of using another person's toilet now will result in your enjoyment of anal leakage when you are older.

No. I do not hold my poop. I am incredibly regular. I wAH and take it every day after my morning coffee. I am a once a day person. I can't fathom taking a poop at someone elses house. Period.

How did you get this attitude? Did your Mom tell you not to?

[Anonymous]

LOL wtf were you searching for, 20:56, that led you to bump this?

[Anonymous]

I call it the "powder room" simply because my mother called it. Here's the origin of the term. http://www.bellemaisoninc.com/2010/09/why-do-they-call-it-the-powder-room-2/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL wtf were you searching for, 20:56, that led you to bump this?

Ha ha! I remember this old thread!

[Anonymous]

If I was really rich I would have a bathroom built on the main floor that just had a sink with no bath and no toilet. We would call it the "powder room" and would direct people to it if they asked for the "powder room."