7 minutes ago, Ron Attwood said:

I remembered another pet hate this morning.

The use of a statement posing as a question???

Thank you Australia.

Ah yes, the raised inflection! Widely used in American Pie. “This one time at Band Camp...” 😁

14 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Care to name them? It’s English. If they’re offended by the term they need to go back to English classes. Cloakroom is ridiculous.

I remember as a kid in France once asking for the Toilet and got the response to instead ask for the cloakroom. By the way I intended the comment as humorous, just in case you're not happy. 🤣

"If they’re offended by the term they need to go back to English classes"

So would you @Ray, go to another country and tell them to learn English. I would hope not!

I can tell you that I always hope to oblige the wishes of others when a guest or visiting other countries and try to be polite that way.

Could it just be that asking for the toilet in some countries is like asking for excrement?

Edited March 11, 20206 yr by SteveW

5 minutes ago, SteveW said:

I remember as a kid in France once asking for the Toilet and got the response to instead ask for the cloakroom

Typical French. Taking a leak where you store your coats.

I keep my coats in a closet...not a Water Closet!

3 minutes ago, charliearon said:

I keep my coats in a closet

We keep them in a wardrobe

 

What's wrong with lavatory? No ambiguity there....Is there?

Edited March 11, 20206 yr by Ron Attwood

11 minutes ago, SteveW said:

I remember as a kid in France once asking for the Toilet and got the response to instead ask for the cloakroom. By the way I intended the comment as humorous, just in case you're not happy. 🤣

It hasn’t annoyed me, don’t worry. France has an unusual attitude to the British. Back in the 60s me and my parents stayed at a camp site in Frejus down south. The first words out of the mouth of the chap in the office were “Huh, more English”. It was 1966, 21 years after WW2. My parents weren’t impressed.

Another case of mistaken meaning abroad in Switzerland when I was swimming in Lake Lugano. I used the sub-aqua divers OK hand symbol to a passing boat which to the onlookers meant "you # holes".

10 minutes ago, SteveW said:

"If they’re offended by the term they need to go back to English classes"

So would you @Ray, go to another country and tell them to learn English. I would hope not!

I can tell you that I always hope to oblige the wishes of others when a guest or visiting other countries and try to be polite that way.

Could it just be that asking for the toilet in some countries is like asking for excrement?

There are local customs and there is language. If it’s generally considered rude to refer to the toilet / lavatory in whatever language the visitor is using then fair enough. So a German could also be admonished for using the German for toilet. Was it just the French? I’ve been to the US and not encountered a problem with toilet.

3 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

There are local customs and there is language. If it’s generally considered rude to refer to the toilet / lavatory in whatever language the visitor is using then fair enough. So a German could also be admonished for using the German for toilet. Was it just the French? I’ve been to the US and not encountered a problem with toilet.

It was a long time ago in France and the lady I asked, I thought, was just being helpful to a kid in a foreign land.

 

15 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

It hasn’t annoyed me, don’t worry. France has an unusual attitude to the British. Back in the 60s me and my parents stayed at a camp site in Frejus down south. The first words out of the mouth of the chap in the office were “Huh, more English”. It was 1966, 21 years after WW2. My parents weren’t impressed.

It is usually down to a few. I remember as a kid abroad, that the English tourists appeared rude to me when they often raised their voices when they were not understood at first. I think there was a kind of mild expectation by some Brits that the locals would speak fluent English.

31 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

It hasn’t annoyed me, don’t worry. France has an unusual attitude to the British. Back in the 60s me and my parents stayed at a camp site in Frejus down south. The first words out of the mouth of the chap in the office were “Huh, more English”. It was 1966, 21 years after WW2. My parents weren’t impressed.

Maybe they're still a bit stuffed about Agincourt or Crecy.

"A bit stuffed" isn't that an English expression?  Regardless (irregardless, NOT), I kinda like it.

6 minutes ago, Mace said:

Maybe they're still a bit stuffed about Agincourt or Crecy.

"A bit stuffed" isn't that an English expression?  Regardless (irregardless, NOT), I kinda like it.

😆 The Brits and the French have always had an “interesting “ relationship. Miffed would be closer to the mark I think. 

50 minutes ago, Ron Attwood said:

We keep them in a wardrobe

 

 

Ah, a chifferobe!  Yo comprendo!

Wasn't Frankenstein's monster create in a lavatory?

1 hour ago, charliearon said:

Wasn't Frankenstein's monster create in a lavatory?

Correct. You ain't as dumb as you look.