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Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

A Way with Words, a radio show and podcast about language and linguistics.

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Names for toilets
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1
2012/02/22 - 6:37am

This is a new one to me. There are often television shows shooting near where I work. I have noticed on many occasions that there is one trailer with two doors signed as Desi and Lucy. I finally figured it out and had it confirmed: they are the restrooms. It is, as it turns out, common practice for location trailers to sign the restrooms in this way. While some might take it as a questionable honor, I think it is pretty great.

Photo (not taken by me)

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2
2012/02/24 - 2:21pm

By "common practice" you mean not just for this company or city but in the industry in general?   Yeah, I gotta admit ("allow") that strikes me as a signal honor.

If you're looking for other examples, I was just thinking about this the other day:   I was in a seafood restaurant years ago and they had their restrooms labeled "gulls" and "buoys".   You wouldn't think it'd be that hard, but it took me a while to figure it out.

Ron Draney
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3
2012/02/24 - 3:19pm

That's not as puzzling as a Western steakhouse near me that had a mining-camp theme to the decor. The bathrooms were labeled Miners and Diggers.

I've often wondered how many people managed to figure out the logic behind that one before picking a door.

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4
2012/02/24 - 3:35pm

Damn, I have to admit I don't get that Miners & Diggers thing. I'd have to wait until someone more informed actually used one of the rooms. At the risk of sounding ignorant, which is which? Probably some play on words I'm not seeing.

Personally, I prefer the standard "pants" vs. "skirts" icons on restroom doors ... even though that doesn't translate to all cultures.

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5
2012/02/24 - 3:46pm

Ok, I don't get it either.   I've worked on various pairs of words ("men"/"women", "boys"/"girls", "males"/"females"); no luck there.   Something anatomical, or scatological, or related to dress?   Nothing's coming to me.   I'm willing to give others a chance to work it out, but whenever you want to close the polls and just tell us, I'm ready.

EmmettRedd
859 Posts
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6
2012/02/24 - 4:28pm

If you put Gold in front of both, it might be a good guess? At least, that is what comes to mind here.

Emmett

Ron Draney
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7
2012/02/24 - 11:41pm

Emmett nailed it. Which gender do you associate with "golddiggers"?

It was probably even more obvious back when Dean Martin had a TV show.

EmmettRedd
859 Posts
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8
2012/02/25 - 6:09pm

Joe Miner is the mascot of my alma mater. That makes me a Missouri Miner. The school colors are Silver and Gold. Maybe they (or some establishments in town) should adopt the Western steakhouse labeling scheme.

Emmett

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