We don't see pay toilets anymore here. It is common to pull over on a highway and pee. Low population and traffic make it possible.
Well, that works if you're a guy--or exhibitionist, I suppose.
Yeah, my internship supervisor and I (very rural context, 3 of 4 church buildings had no toilets) came to the conclusion that the reason it took a long time to ordain women had nothing to do with theology and everything to do with indoor plumbing!
70 cents in Toulouse station the other day. Maybe I'm odd, but I'm always encouraged to see a toilet you have to pay for. It means it's going to be clean, which is far from given when it's free.
We don't see pay toilets anymore here. It is common to pull over on a highway and pee. Low population and traffic make it possible.
Well, that works if you're a guy--or exhibitionist, I suppose.
We do his and hers, plus dog. When our kids (daughters all) were with us, it was a group thing. Including dog. I do have a copy of "How to Shit in the Woods", which devotes some discussion on how not to pee on your feet when squatting, and otherwise how to answer nature's call with finesse.
I don’t know that Click go the Shears is much known outside Oz, though the tune (with different words) apparently originated in the American Civil War.
I don’t know that Click go the Shears is much known outside Oz, though the tune (with different words) apparently originated in the American Civil War.
Wikipedia says:
The tune is the American Civil War song "Ring the Bell, Watchman" by Henry Clay Work and the first verse follows closely, in parody, Work's lyrics as well.
The name is given in red, so no link to the words. Does any US shipmate know them please?
There’s a version here with links at the foot of the page to other related songs. The ‘Strike the bell’ link takes you through to a page about the author.
We also had a song for decimalisation, which I learned in primary school. It went to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas and ran: On the fourteenth day of February 1971
There’s going to be
Decimal currency
With a hundred pennies in a pound.
I know the tune of Click go the shears, but didn't recognise the words, not even the Rolf Harris version that came up on YouTube (we had an album of his songs as children). I think I must have sung or heard Ring the Bell Watchman (link to Maddy Prior on YouTube) at some point as that chorus I remember
There’s a version here with links at the foot of the page to other related songs. The ‘Strike the bell’ link takes you through to a page about the author.
We also had a song for decimalisation, which I learned in primary school. It went to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas and ran: On the fourteenth day of February 1971
There’s going to be
Decimal currency
With a hundred pennies in a pound.
What is there about 14 February? Can't be St Valentine, he's not concerned with money.
I don’t know that Click go the Shears is much known outside Oz.
I (in the UK) remembered it when I saw it mentioned, but only because many years ago an Australian friend of my mother sent us a cassette of this for Christmas.
Not sure what is meant by a "flannel" perhaps face cloth or wash cloth.
Yup, Brits call face cloths 'flannels'. They must once have been made out of flannel (which I think of as a fairly smooth sort of cloth) but these days they're basically made out of towelling.
Not sure what is meant by a "flannel" perhaps face cloth or wash cloth.
Yup, Brits call face cloths 'flannels'. They must once have been made out of flannel (which I think of as a fairly smooth sort of cloth) but these days they're basically made out of towelling.
Being the passive-aggressive bastard that I am, I pull this example out to use against British types who are snottily insisting some Americanism is stupid because its meaning has evolved past its etymology.
Tangent: on holiday in Argentina, in the days when we were allowed holidays, we realised we needed to buy more flannels/face cloths/wash cloths as the hotel we were in at the time didn’t provide them. So we went to the local supermarket and bought a couple of nice terry towelling cloths - they were a bit big but the best we could do.
When we got them back to hotel, we realised they were probably tea towels. We had visions of the hotel staff saying, ‘oh, that’s interesting, in England the flannels are just like tea towels’....
Flannel < Welsh Gwlanen < Gwlân, wool. Or at least that's the most guessed at etymology. Alternatively may have come via Norman French. Ultimately from proto-Celtic *wlanā either way.
Not sure what is meant by a "flannel" perhaps face cloth or wash cloth.
Yup, Brits call face cloths 'flannels'. They must once have been made out of flannel (which I think of as a fairly smooth sort of cloth) but these days they're basically made out of towelling.
Being the passive-aggressive bastard that I am, I pull this example out to use against British types who are snottily insisting some Americanism is stupid because its meaning has evolved past its etymology.
So let me also give you for free from Anglo-English:
- choo-choo train (ok, maybe not used all that widely in polite adult company).
If you're going to use a flannel/ face cloth/ facewasher make sure you only use it for your face: if you need to employ one for your body have a separate cloth.
Am I the only one who never uses a flannel or one of those nylon scrunchies in the shower? I prefer to use my bare hands to wash myself with. Similar to my aversion to doing the dishes using a dishcloth, horrible germy things ....if I have to wash up by hand I need a brush. A clean one.
I never use a flannel to wash either, never have, even when having to wash myself in the work toilet basins after cycling in (top half then bottom half, stripping off to wash half, dressing and then the other half).
I do use a sponge with a scouring pad to wash up and a brush but bleach them regularly.
Comments
It's free in all underground stations that have one, now.
Well, that works if you're a guy--or exhibitionist, I suppose.
Or living in Québec, regardless of traffic density.
Yeah, my internship supervisor and I (very rural context, 3 of 4 church buildings had no toilets) came to the conclusion that the reason it took a long time to ordain women had nothing to do with theology and everything to do with indoor plumbing!
We do his and hers, plus dog. When our kids (daughters all) were with us, it was a group thing. Including dog. I do have a copy of "How to Shit in the Woods", which devotes some discussion on how not to pee on your feet when squatting, and otherwise how to answer nature's call with finesse.
When you find one that only costs 1d you can let the other penny drop.
"On the fourteenth of February
Nineteen sixty six." (Sung to Click go the Shears for those of you of younger years).
Wikipedia says:
The tune is the American Civil War song "Ring the Bell, Watchman" by Henry Clay Work and the first verse follows closely, in parody, Work's lyrics as well.
The name is given in red, so no link to the words. Does any US shipmate know them please?
On the fourteenth day of February 1971
There’s going to be
Decimal currency
With a hundred pennies in a pound.
Thanks, had never heard of the song or author
What is there about 14 February? Can't be St Valentine, he's not concerned with money.
I (in the UK) remembered it when I saw it mentioned, but only because many years ago an Australian friend of my mother sent us a cassette of this for Christmas.
I loved that song as a child. Musical taste was never one of my strong points.
Yup, Brits call face cloths 'flannels'. They must once have been made out of flannel (which I think of as a fairly smooth sort of cloth) but these days they're basically made out of towelling.
Being the passive-aggressive bastard that I am, I pull this example out to use against British types who are snottily insisting some Americanism is stupid because its meaning has evolved past its etymology.
And the American northwest.
When we got them back to hotel, we realised they were probably tea towels. We had visions of the hotel staff saying, ‘oh, that’s interesting, in England the flannels are just like tea towels’....
MMM
To me it's a face washer. Or possibly even a facewasher.
So let me also give you for free from Anglo-English:
- choo-choo train (ok, maybe not used all that widely in polite adult company).
- giving someone a ring on the telephone.
You're young Orfeo - to us, growing up in the 40s and 50s, it was a flannel or face washer.
To me (UK) that sounds like a machine that washes your face for you (maybe by analogy with 'dishwasher').
I'm sure it does! A bit of research suggests it's unique to Australia.
Of course, once upon a time a dishwasher was a person not a machine... so I'm going to argue the mechanics of how the face is washed aren't specified.
Mind you in my days as a junior nurse when doing a “ sponge bath” one started with face then hands then genitalia then feet....
A dear old lady one said to me “just me face and me bum, love, in no particular order”😂I still smile at the memory...
I do use a sponge with a scouring pad to wash up and a brush but bleach them regularly.