Questions for our British friends
1. This may seem like a weird question to ask on a porn -- er, I mean erotica -- forum, but what is meant by the phrase "made my toilet"? This pops up frequently in the Flashman novels (set in Victorian times), i.e. "The butler came in and made my toilet".
2. What exactly is meant by the phrase "Wednesday week"? Do people say "Tuesday week' or "Thursday week"? 3. What is a bank holiday? 4. If private schools are called "public schools", what are public schools called? |
Wednesday week means, a week on Wednesday or seven days after the next Wednesday. The day named can be any day of the week. If I said I'll see you on Monday week I would mean the first Monday after the next Monday.
We have several Bank Holidays in the UK. They are days when the Banks were forced to close for a day in order to give their workers a days rest. Holidays for the workers are a relatively recent invention, until just before 1900 most blue collar people worked five or five and a half days a week and were lucky to have any paid holidays at all. Bank opening times were strictly limited by law to prevent runs (I think something similar happened in 'It's a wonderful life' the James Stewart Christmas film). By granting the compulsory holidays for the bank it meant that workers got several long weekends every year. Public schools are so called because when they started they was Private education (tutors for the rich) Church schools for the middle classes (the church was all powerful in late medieval England) and no schooling for anyone else. Schools were founded and funded by the public purse to educate the poor. Over the years these schools became private, fee paying schools but never lost the name Public. What Americans would call public we call 'State schools'. The toilet business is very Victorian and date from the time before plumbing. The valet (for the master) or maid (for the Ladies) of a large house would take their employer hot water, soap, clean towels etc so the employer could wash or bathe. Even when plumbing came in the maid would draw her lady a bath of the right temperature and make sure the right toiletries were to hand. |
Bloody hell mate, Im a brit and I'm confused!:D....(well, Geordie anyway so thats probably why)
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Making your toilet simply meant washing and combing your hair and for a man shaving
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"Wednesday week she loved me, Wednesday week never happened at all" |
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The idea of "toilets" meaning what they do now is probably the result of Victorian sensitivity , it wasn't the thing to say "I'm going for a piss" so the euphenism "I'm visiting the toilet" came into use. As for phrases like "wednesday week" , they are well understood but used rather less frequently than "a week on Wednesday" |
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Regards. |
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Regards. |
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Written by Elvis Costello Performed by Elvis Costello & The Attractions Produced by Nick Lowe Musicians Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar Steve Nieve - keyboards Bruce Thomas - bass Pete Thomas - drums Recorded August-September 1978, Eden Studios, London Released December 18, 1978 The movies save on conversation And the TV saves on sight We met in a head-on collision So I would say our chances would be slight You can lead and I will follow See us dancing cheek to cheek You'll remember me tomorrow But you won't give a damn by Wednesday Week Say you love me until you do so Joso singing just like Caruso Three little words roll off your tongue Somehow your face just doesn't look so young You say you want to strike a bargain Now there is no need to speak You say you want to learn the jargon But you won't give a damn by Wednesday Week You start acting like a zombie Someone wants your piece of cake You think you want to jump up on me But you won't give a damn by Wednesday Week Oh what a letdown when the battle was finally won One little breakdown and then it was over and done I wish I had your confidence It's love and not coincidence Do you say these words to everyone? You're fantastic, you're terrific Your excellence is almost scientific You took the words out of my mouth You put the tongue into my cheek But I'd better lose my memory by Wednesday Week |
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Checked with wiki and Eton was founded by Henry VI in 1440 specifically for the education of 70 Poor Boys. The fee payers sort of joined later. Before the reformation all church schools were Roman Catholic (and educated people for the church). After the Reformation most of the church schools became protestant or anglo catholic Grammar schools and became far more secular. From about 1530 to roughly 1800 Roman Catholicism was not exactly the flavour of the month. |
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