This Toilet Paper Makes The 13-Year-Old in Me Laugh
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?
February 11th, 2008 at 7:51 am
in Quebec, Canada, we use “papier de toilette” daily.
February 11th, 2008 at 8:00 am
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.
February 11th, 2008 at 9:39 am
It could have been called Oui, Oui !
February 11th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
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.
February 12th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
All your commenters are correct Darren but that doesn’t mean you aren’t: “papier hygiénique” *is* toilet paper.
MS