The toilet is the most utilised room in the house. Some of us are fortunate to have more than one, which is fantastic when there is a large number of people cuing outside the door, yelling at you, telling you to hurry up because they’re busting to go. If your kids are anything like mine, they just open the door and start pulling you off if you don’t move fast enough. (Teenagers… Do they not understand the meaning of the word privacy?)

Public toilet sign found outside of Mansfield Park in Fielding, New Zealand

In my recent research into the most important room in a house, I have discovered that there are many names by which we call the toilet. Some are obscure and weird, while others are interesting. This week, I have decided to share with you a few more common names and where those names originate.

Toilet humour has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. If I think about it, toilet humour has always been around. However, recently I find myself descending into the sewer and following the wastewater through the treatment plant and out to sea. Even as I write that last line, I find myself laughing, the irony not lost.