Why call all these things cupboards? The only one that makes sense is the one in the kitchen where you put cups on boards.
Closet is the word we use in America for a built-in storage space with doors. Which I guess isn't the origin of the word since it's meant as a place people go to for privacy. But we don't use the term water closets, we just call them bathrooms.
I find the English language is kind of like Buffy canon: there are some things you just have to fanwank, because they make no actual sense whatsoever. :-) Better question: why is it spelled "cupboard" but pronounced "cubburd"?
we just call them bathrooms
Which is a euphemism I never understood. Why not simply call it a toilet? Why call it a bathroom if there's no actual bathtub in it?
I meant to say there are sometimes actual couches in public restrooms. Oh and then you have the fun euphemism powder room because of course women only go in there to powder their nose.
Interestingly, in one of my Agatha Christie books, a woman is saying she wants to "check her hair" as a euphemism - when what she wants is to actually powder her nose!
Okay. How did you know I have the Oxford English Dictionary Online open in another tab?
Originally it was two words, "cup board":
1. A ‘board’ or table to place cups and other vessels, etc. on; a piece of furniture for the display of plate; a sideboard, buffet. (See also COURT-CUPBOARD.) Obs.
c1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 1440 Couered mony a cup-borde with cloes ful quite. c1380 Antecrist in Todd 3 Treat. Wyclif 150 Loke Cristis copborde. ?a1400 Morte Arth. 206 The kyngez cope-borde was closed in silver.
By the 16th century the words had been run together, and it was often spelled 'cubberd' or 'cubbert' or similar. But in the 18th century, when the first dictionaries were printed and spelling was regularised, the more 'correct' etymological spelling 'cupboard' was promoted by scholars and pedants, and so it became established.
Oh, and in British English a 'bathroom' is definitely a room with a bath in it. It might also have a toilet, but if there's no bath, it's not called that.
Oh, and in British English a 'bathroom' is definitely a room with a bath in it. It might also have a toilet, but if there's no bath, it's not called that.
What if it has a shower but no bath?
I mean, I agree that a room that's basically a toilet and basin is not a bathroom, but a toilet (or possibly "powder room"), but I'd call a room containing a shower a bathroom.
Are we talking a full-size room that has a toilet and a handbasin and a cabinet, but a shower cubicle instead of a bath? I'd probably call that a bathroom, but I'm not sure I've ever encountered it (except maybe in a hotel?).
A small room that just has a shower, though, I'd probably call "the shower". Or "the shower room", or "shower cubicle".
It's reasonably common here to have a shower instead of a bath. I'd say maybe fifty percent of Aussie bathrooms have a bath and shower, and the others just have a shower. It'd be rather odd to have a bathroom without a shower, though.
Useless fun language fact: the Danish word for "shower" translates to "fizzy bath". Therefore, since England was once ruled by the Danes, it follows that the English word for "bathroom" covers showers as well.
I've lived in places that had that; but to be fair, we're talking about pokey bedsits and houses converted to fit 15 students into a normal-sized family home, that sort of thing.
I don't know about how common they are, but that's the way I designed my sisters master bathroom when I did her house a year or two ago (it was a request on their part.)
Really? They have a master bathroom with no sink or toilet? I've seen bathrooms that have a shower stall instead of a bathtub (my parents' master bathroom is like that), but never a room with just a shower and nothing else.
Unless it's one of those enormous bathrooms that's basically two separate rooms - but even then, you usually have the shower/bath and toilet together, and the sink/vanity separate.
Not exactly. It's a room within a set of rooms. They started out requesting two separate bathrooms a his and a hers and wanting complete privacy. There was no way to do that and keep down the square footage so they ended up with sort of a bath/dressing suite. There's a private watercloset, an enclosed shower "room" with both shower and dressing area. And then a room with the lavs that connects these rooms to both the closets and the laundry room, which is still pretty flipping elaborate (I think) but less so than having two entirely separate bathrooms than they wanted for the master bedroom.
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Date: 2010-04-21 08:25 pm (UTC)Closet is the word we use in America for a built-in storage space with doors. Which I guess isn't the origin of the word since it's meant as a place people go to for privacy. But we don't use the term water closets, we just call them bathrooms.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 09:05 pm (UTC)I find the English language is kind of like Buffy canon: there are some things you just have to fanwank, because they make no actual sense whatsoever. :-) Better question: why is it spelled "cupboard" but pronounced "cubburd"?
we just call them bathrooms
Which is a euphemism I never understood. Why not simply call it a toilet? Why call it a bathroom if there's no actual bathtub in it?
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 09:19 pm (UTC)Are there beds in them?
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 09:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 09:24 pm (UTC)We just call it "having a shit." :-P
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 09:29 pm (UTC)What were we talking about again?
I meant to say there are sometimes actual couches in public restrooms. Oh and then you have the fun euphemism powder room because of course women only go in there to powder their nose.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 09:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 01:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 09:55 pm (UTC)For the same reason my country is known as "Austraya"? :)
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 10:49 pm (UTC)Originally it was two words, "cup board":
1. A ‘board’ or table to place cups and other vessels, etc. on; a piece of furniture for the display of plate; a sideboard, buffet. (See also COURT-CUPBOARD.) Obs.
c1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 1440 Couered mony a cup-borde with cloes ful quite. c1380 Antecrist in Todd 3 Treat. Wyclif 150 Loke Cristis copborde. ?a1400 Morte Arth. 206 The kyngez cope-borde was closed in silver.
By the 16th century the words had been run together, and it was often spelled 'cubberd' or 'cubbert' or similar. But in the 18th century, when the first dictionaries were printed and spelling was regularised, the more 'correct' etymological spelling 'cupboard' was promoted by scholars and pedants, and so it became established.
Oh, and in British English a 'bathroom' is definitely a room with a bath in it. It might also have a toilet, but if there's no bath, it's not called that.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 10:55 pm (UTC)What if it has a shower but no bath?
I mean, I agree that a room that's basically a toilet and basin is not a bathroom, but a toilet (or possibly "powder room"), but I'd call a room containing a shower a bathroom.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 11:00 pm (UTC)A small room that just has a shower, though, I'd probably call "the shower". Or "the shower room", or "shower cubicle".
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 11:04 pm (UTC)It's reasonably common here to have a shower instead of a bath. I'd say maybe fifty percent of Aussie bathrooms have a bath and shower, and the others just have a shower. It'd be rather odd to have a bathroom without a shower, though.
(My bathroom has both.)
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 01:11 am (UTC)Is this common? I've never seen it in a house, and it sounds very odd.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 08:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 04:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 04:39 pm (UTC)Unless it's one of those enormous bathrooms that's basically two separate rooms - but even then, you usually have the shower/bath and toilet together, and the sink/vanity separate.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 05:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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From:no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 02:03 am (UTC)One of my bathrooms at home just has a shower instead of a shower/bath tub.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 02:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 02:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
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