>>>>>>Until it dawned on me that you were using the European term toilet to refer to the restroom (or bathroom),
>>>>>
>>>>>There was nothing to have a bath in, or have a rest on (unless you're the, ahem, concentrated reader-on-the-throne type), it was just two pieces of porcelain (the seat and the pissoir) and a small basin, maybe 3'x5' - no place to bathe or rest :). OK, just an urinal.
>>>
>>>What I find humorous is how Eau-de-toilette (water of toilet) is cologne. I saw a store display once. Stuffed puppies on the left and Tommy Hilfiger cologne on the right. I turned to my wife and indicating the puppies and then the cologne, proclaimed loudly, "Look, Dear! Dog Scent" - The display was removed by the next day! :)
>>
>>You must remember that the expression "to conduct one's toilet" is the act of cleansing, not relieving oneself.
>>
>>>
>>>By the way, I was watching a television programme called The Adventure of English. The host mentioned the source of some cuss words. It's so funny to see the topic covered by academia.
>>>
>>>Look for "The English Lexicon of Cussing" http://www.unm.edu/~abqteach/linguistics/02-08-10.htm
>>
>>Gee that was tedious - a tract on "cussing" (not an expression we use here - we call it "swearing") that hasn't the bl**dy b*lls t f*cking write the words down but splashes **** all over the place, and on many that we consider lame nowadays, like "goddamn"
>>
>>>
>>>By the way, ask a French speaker to say "The seal in the pool". I mean the marine mammal and a swimming pool. Don't be offended by how it sounds.
>>
>>I don't know the french for "seal" but "... est dans la piscine" - that sounds naughty, right? :-)
>
>Not "is in the pool", just "in the pool".
>
>The marine mammal seal is spelled Phoque. I leave it to those able to keep a straight face to pronounce that loudly during High Tea with the Ladies. :)

Of course, I did know that but had forgotten. Still: "La phoque dans la piscine", despite the odd word sounding like English, doesn't make sense as an English expression.

How about marcel DuChamp's (the dadaist) Mona Lisa (the one with the moustache painted on). He labelled "his" work L.H.O.O.Q which, pronounced in French (makes a French pun) ...

As kids we would amuse ourselves with "Polish it behind the door", said fast and repeatedly.

>
>>
>>Anyway, what other kind of seal is there?
>
>There is a seal such as that put on a certificate. Businesses have a mechanical device to impress their seal on share certificates.

DOH! I was thinking of that as spelt with a "c", but must have been thinking of "ceiling" - "ceiling wax" :-)

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