Preferred Words

[Baburra]

I have a lot of these little nuances and pet peeves when I read it on articles or especially when I hear it spoken by narrators, in which I mean a use of a word I don't like will just turn me off to whatever I'm hearing or reading, not completely though, I'd of course still continue on.

For example, I prefer the use of the word soup and dislike it when the word broth is used when stating or describing what I am about to intake. It just sounds a lot less appetizing to me that way. Do you guys have any words you'd prefer to hear or read over another when it comes to particular topics you like?

[Sarah676]

I hate it when people refer to the toilet as the "potty". I recently moved from Australia to the US and I've noticed that this is a very American thing. My theater director at college today kept saying we were taking a "potty break" whenever we stopped for a break during rehearsals and it was driving me crazy! Actually, there are a lot of Americanisms like that that I find annoying simply because they're not what I'm used to. Another example is the word "restroom". In Australia most people would say "bathroom", so I'll probably always prefer "bathroom" over "restroom" simply because it's what I grew up with.

[Qamra]

Oh all those toilet words! I started working at my company two years ago and one guy asked me where the loo was. I had no idea what he meant  :grin: Just say 'toilet', people, for god's sake.

I also don't understand why Americans refer to toilet as 'restroom'. You don't rest there. You just do your business. I thought 'restroom' would be a place where you have your break or something.

[justusforus]

I dislike when a more archaic word is used such as when someone says mirth as opposed to humor.  There are times when a more formal word is appropriate, but often times I feel it is the speaker trying to embellish a conversation unnecessarily.

[SpiralArchitect]

when someone says mirth as opposed to humor.

Do people actually do that? I can understand why that would be incredibly annoying. Not to that extent people still using unnecessarily complicated words can be quite annoying.

[jcannon]

Oh even just the words for bathroom alone.. ..bathroom, washroom, water closet, loo, toilet, can, john... I've been asked for the water closet a few times and that always confuses me. It sounds like it's right out of the 1700s! I prefer washroom -- as in public places you are not going to have a full out bath. I also like that it implies "oh I'm going to wash up" as opposed to "I'm going to go expel waste".

[LauraM]

Oh even just the words for bathroom alone.. ..bathroom, washroom, water closet, loo, toilet, can, john... I've been asked for the water closet a few times and that always confuses me. It sounds like it's right out of the 1700s! I prefer washroom -- as in public places you are not going to have a full out bath. I also like that it implies "oh I'm going to wash up" as opposed to "I'm going to go expel waste".

Yes, there are many words for "bathroom."  As others have pointed out on this thread, some of the variance is based on geographical location -- the U.S. being where "restroom" is the usual term.  It's sometimes called a "public restroom" for further emphasis.

I think the term "restroom" is used because it is euphemistic.  It makes no reference to plumbing, fixtures or what actually takes place in the "restroom." 

Some of the other terms -- and especially the slang terms -- are just the opposite, they tend to highlight what goes on in the "restroom."

I think what's important in this case is to determine which term  is preferred, i.e. the most polite, depending upon the country you're in.  In a professional setting or with people whom you don't know well it's best to play it safe and use the polite term.

[Bandannafied]

I dislike when a more archaic word is used such as when someone says mirth as opposed to humor.  There are times when a more formal word is appropriate, but often times I feel it is the speaker trying to embellish a conversation unnecessarily.

I totally agree with you. A lot of people don't maintain a proper level of diction when they write or speak and it comes off as sounding stupid on their end if they are using an unnecessarily high level of diction for their intended audience. People do it anyway to 'sound smart' though. It's pretty annoying.

[Kotro]

I think I am the minority here. I am passionate about words, few things delight me as  much as learning new ones. I rather enjoy when people use somewhat obscure words (if they use in the right context and with the proper meaning). It brings a smile to my face to know that people still care for their language.

I could go on about it, but frankly, when it comes to English, which I believe is what's under discussion here, there are wordsmiths who can make the defense of unusual words much better than I ever could. Champions of language such as the wonderful Stephen Fry:

[Limezero]

For me, it's the word "silly". I've heard it in so many condescending posts and an "ironic" context that it became a word I tend to avoid altogether, even if people are sincere about its usage. There are a few other words and phrases like it - and on the other hand there are ones that make me automatically pay attention to the speaker, and think highly of them. Language is a strange thing.

[MyDigitalpoint]

I also don't understand why Americans refer to toilet as 'restroom'. You don't rest there. You just do your business. I thought 'restroom' would be a place where you have your break or something.

True! I was also taught that the bathroom is the bathroom, so the first time I saw a "restroom" sign in a door, I keep seeking where the toilet was.

Many of those Americanisms are annoying because you need always to figure out what they mean by this or that, so when I heard that the son of a friend of mine was smoking pot, I was wondering how the "potty" could be connected with smoking 

[rodserd]

I don't think I have a strong preference.  I do think it is a shame that words get so misused.  Many words in the English language have quite precise meanings, and are only rarely used in proper context.  So many people just open a thesaurus these days and pick a few random words instead of repeating themselves a bit (the horror!).

[Baburra]

I hate it when people refer to the toilet as the "potty". I recently moved from Australia to the US and I've noticed that this is a very American thing. My theater director at college today kept saying we were taking a "potty break" whenever we stopped for a break during rehearsals and it was driving me crazy! Actually, there are a lot of Americanisms like that that I find annoying simply because they're not what I'm used to. Another example is the word "restroom". In Australia most people would say "bathroom", so I'll probably always prefer "bathroom" over "restroom" simply because it's what I grew up with.

I think Australia does that with a lot of their words. To the best of my knowledge, they call football "footy", and barbecue "barby". I think it's kind of endearing, but I understand your point, since I imagine it can get old really fast if you hear it too much and it's not what you grew up with.

[Monox D. I-Fly]

On 11/12/2013 at 6:58 AM, jcannon said:

I've been asked for the water closet a few times and that always confuses me. It sounds like it's right out of the 1700s!

Well, we Indonesians are stuck with "WC".