Outhouse Humor Trivia Quiz

Answer: French

It all boils down from the French "toilette" which in French means dressing room. In the 16th century the word toilette, which is the smaller version of toile, meant a cloth used as a wrapper for clothes. Later it meant the cloth cover of a dressing table, the action of dressing and the act of washing. From that it was used to mean the dressing soon and that became a synonym for lavatory.

But as a joke says, "Use me well and keep me clean. I will never tell what I have seen."

Answer: Wash-down closet

The use of an indoor toilet, rather than an outhouse, began towards the end of the 19th century. They fashioned a room similar to the clothing closet and since it was the only room with running water, they called it a water closet. Since the waste was washed down from the bowl with the help of water it was also called the wash-down closet.

After all it is "The best seat in the house", as the joke goes.

Answer: Defecate

It is a combination of the words bog + house and it refers to a place outside the house where one gets a bit of relief. One of the meanings of bog is muddy ground.

That is where you "Let it go"!

Answer: Scotland

The Scots do use rather strange words. The actual meaning of 'cludgie' is to urinate and defecate. It is a slang term used for the actual room, the "seat" and the outhouse.

"Why did the toilet paper roll down the hill"?
"To reach the bottom"!

Answer: Dunny

Dunny is a shortened version of "dunnekin" which means an outside toilet. It is a combination of the words dung and ken (house).

As the joke says, "I got in touch with my inner self today. That's the last time I buy single-ply toilet paper."

Answer: Head

When travelling by boat you would go to the bow in order to relieve yourself. The waves hitting the bow would wash away the waste. The bow is the front part of the boat i.e., the head. This practice was common to all sailing ships because no provision was taken for having an onboard toilet.

"Did you hear the joke about the toilet"?
"Never mind, it's too dirty."

Answer: Latin "lavare"

"Lavare" means to wash, from which stemmed the word lavatorium, which means a place to wash, which in turn became the English word lavatory.

"Why didn't the toilet paper make it across the road"?
"It got stuck in the crack"!

Answer: Latrine

Latrine originated from the Latin "lavatrina" which means washroom, which in turn has its origins to the word "lavare" that means to wash. "Lavatrina" became "latrina" and hence "latrine" in English.

"What's brown and sounds like a bell"?
"Dung"!

Answer: Watch out for the water

It was a shout of warning to people in the street, used when emptying a chamber pot from the bedroom window. A British corruption of the phrase became "gardy-loo" and from that simply "loo".

"Why did the cop sit on the toilet"?
"To do his duty."

Answer: Netty

"Netty" is mainly used in the Northeast of England. Although the origins of the word are rather unclear, the Italian word "gabbinetti" or the French "nettoyer" are possible explanations.

"What do you call a fairy using the toilet"?
"Stinker bell"!