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In reading The Good Soldier Sveck, I've seen the word often, which in context I take to mean what we over here would call "latrine". Is the word common in UK English, or peculiar to WW1 slang? | ||
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I've never heard of it in that context, although "rear end" is not unknown as a euphemism for buttocks. Richard English | |||
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Rear end I've heard, too. One of our local talk show hosts here has, and plays from time to time, an audio clip of the Mayor of Providence (a somewhat flamboyantly gay male) saying "There has been an increase in rear end collisions." The translator, Sir Cecil Parrott is certainly English. As I have read along, I've found that he also uses the word latrine, but in more formal contexts. I'm beginning to suspect that rears is used in place of some Czech slang word. | |||
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I think you're probably right. I found this lecture by Ian Johnston on The Good Soldier Švejk; halfway through: This message has been edited. Last edited by: arnie, Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life. | |||
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The Oed Online
lat = latrine (L. latrina) = privy (L. forica) = jakes = dubs = siege = jacques = bogard (boggard) = draught jakes - [Origin unascertained; it has been suggested to be from the proper name Jaques, Jakes; or from Jakke, ‘Jack’, quasi Jakkes, ‘Jack's; attested from 153 to 1969 1552 HULOET, Siege, iacques, bogard, or draught, latrina. dubs - 1940 M. MARPLES Public School Slang 112 Other synonyms [for lavatories] are rears, lats..and dubs. siege - A privy; evacuation;excrement, ordure. All Obs. Also to go to siege, to go to stool, to ease oneself. Obs. bogard (boggard) - from v. bog - intr. To exonerate the bowels; also trans. to defile with excrement. Obs. draught - a privy Obs.This message has been edited. Last edited by: tinman, | |||
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Hmmmm... I wonder if there's any connection here with to Bogart? Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life. | |||
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That also has the meaning of "throne" (as in siege perilous) which is also a word used for a lavatory. Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life. | |||
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I wonder if there's any connection here with to Bogart? The usual etymology for the verb bogart is from the US actor, Humphrey Bogart. His surname is Dutch in origin. Its usual etymology is from Dutch boomgaard 'orchard', literally 'tree-yard'. I don't doubt that the English words bog (for a swampy place), bug, bogle, bogey, in the sense of (hob)goblin, may have had some influence. I like the idea of calling a commode a siege perilous. —Ceci n'est pas un seing. | |||
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I like the euphemisms: "To exonerate the bowels," "to ease oneself." | |||
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I am at a conference where people are running for office. One candidate asked the audience to think of a cereal they'd like to be known as. I was thinking of something like Cheerios because it signifies health. This nominee saw herself as Bran Flakes since she'd see that "everything would come out well in the end." Somehow that just didn't do it for me. You can imagine the image I kept seeing, and others felt the same way. What would you like to be thought of? | |||
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I haven't eaten cereals since I was a lad. So I would like to abide by the profound thought that I first read in the Goose Island Brewery: "Beer is not just a breakfast drink" Richard English | |||
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You have to go with the flow. | |||
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As a follow-up, that candidate lost the election. Many of the delegates who voted said they couldn't stand her reference to bran flakes making things come out alright in the end. Similarly, another candidate lost because of her speech, I think. I absolutely don't think she had meant anything rude by it, but she said, "Take the high road and vote for me." It seemed to irritate a lot of the voters. It wasn't until this election that I realized how important words are in a campaign. One small gaffe ("take the high road"), and it can mean an election. Granted, she should have known...but still. | |||
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