variations on a theme

in keeping with the bathroom theme...

in canada somtimes people get a bit weirded out if you ask where the toilet is, for some reason it is considered more polite to say 'where is the washroom' or 'where is the bathroom'. toilet is not an appreciated word.

in europe (well, france, i can't speak for the rest of europe) one asks specifically for the toilet, because there is a distinct possiblity that the washroom or bathroom will not have a toilet, only things for washing and bathing, which can be panic enducing when you're at the point of bladder burst...

to avoid said moments of panic it's 'ou est la toilette', not 'ou est la salle du bain'.

funny how the word toilet is demonized here for some reason...