February 11th, 2008

Filed under:
Mixed Bag

This Toilet Paper Makes The 13-Year-Old in Me Laugh

Yes!

What is that “Yes” supposed to imply?

  • “Yes, I have successfully defecated!”
  • “Yes, I am no longer constipated!”

It just gets ruder from there.

On a language note, I see this paper is described as ‘papier toilette’. I read in my French-English dictionary that it’s called ‘papier hygiénique’. Francophones, which term do you use?

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Comments: 5 Responses so far

in Quebec, Canada, we use “papier de toilette” daily.

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I’ve also used papier de toilette and so did all my friends in France when I lived there. We also used papier cul, but only to be rude.

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It could have been called Oui, Oui !

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As a followup to what Christine said, the slang form is was often abbreviated to PQ, just the pronounciation of the 2 letters (much like TP in certain contexts in the US). And it definitely is crude, to be used only with good acquaintances who use it first.

You need a newer dictionary, because “papier hygiénique” could be confused with “serviettes hygiéniques,” which is the actual term for “sanitary napkins” (and a direct translation of that euphemism, I just realized).

I must point out that this is all “metropolitain” French. I have a nagging suspicion that Moroccan French may be different on the edges, especially for touchy subjects such as personal hygiene.

[Reply]

All your commenters are correct Darren but that doesn’t mean you aren’t: “papier hygiénique” *is* toilet paper.

MS

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