TУАЛЕТ

When I first arrived in New Zealand in 1989, I noticed that everyone said Loo when they were talking about the place I called the ‘bathroom.’  I wrote home that I didn’t know how to spell it, so I chose Lou because I thought it was simply a quick and easy man’s name—similar to how Americans used the word john.  It wasn't for several years until I saw ‘loo’ in print somewhere.

I first began to examine my use of the word ‘bathroom’ when I was staying with a nice couple in New Plymouth, New Zealand.   On the first day, I needed to go to the bathroom.  The bath and sink were in one room and the toilet was in another, smaller room.  I asked where I could find the bathroom.
The owner, an obliging young man, said, “Well there’s the toilet, but you won’t find a bath in there, mate.”

Not long after I returned from New Zealand most of my family was enjoying a weekend getaway at a hotel in Sioux City or Des Moines or somewhere.  I asked a hotel employee where I could find the toilet.  Dad pulled me close and said in a hushed voice, embarrassed that he should have to teach his half-grown, 23-year-old son manners, “Don’t ever say toilet!”  His embarrassment is very common in the US.  Other countries, I believe find people from the US stuffy when we shy away from the word, “toilet.”

This spring, I found a podcast called “The World in Words” a Public Radio International podcast that discusses, well, words.  One story I found is about people from the US and our many ways to avoid saying ‘toilet’—restroom, ladies’ room, men’s room, little boy’s room.  It’s funny and there is an especially humorous story about a young child who “went to the bathroom” unexpectedly.  There is nothing gross about this story.
In most languages—Russian, Albanian, Croatian, Kazakh, at least—the word for the place where people do their business is simply ‘toilet’.  There is no other way.
            The British often use ‘water closet.’  I’m not sure why these two commentators didn’t say anything about that euphemism.

Here are some pictures that illustrate my little observation:

Last Sunday, I walked to Sokolniki Park--about a 40 minute walk.  Beautiful trees and bike paths, and rented roller skates, and climbing walls, fountains, etc. But also, a person can get away from the people because there are heaps of walking paths.

As you can read, the green sign says, "Sorry, no restrooms."  Wouldn't it have been easier to take away the "WC" post?  When I first saw it, I was immensely relieved (not in the way I would be soon) because I needed to relieve myself of a burden of liquid in my body.  I wasn't close enough to read the small lettering, but I COULD see the white drawing of the person holding his/her legs together.   I followed the arrow--I thought maybe they were in the process of building a WC.  No.  So I acted like a bear in the woods.

ТУАЛЕТ means 'toilet' in Russian.