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Okay....I'm dying of curiosity. What is the source of the name Toy-letta for the powder room?

Pronounced Twah-let.

From archaic French: a dressing table, typically covered to the floor with cloth (originally, toile) and lace, on which stood a mirror, which might also be draped in lace.

toilette means "wash"

It's the act or process of dressing or grooming oneself, which can include washing or not.

ETA: At a time when there was no running water available, eau de toilette (literally, "water of the toilette") originated as a method to refresh the body as an ablution, in lieu of a bath in a tub. It was lightly scented and splashed on liberally.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: aychihuahua,

It doesn't have a bath or shower in the room. It has a mirror, wash basin or sink and a toilet.

Toilets got their name from toilette. Toilets were added to toilette rooms. Have you ever heard of the morning toilette? What do you buy to clean yourself - toiletries.

Lu - over at gardenweb under the discussion of "the vocabulary of houses", this was one of the responses:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forum...71011308145.html?100


"Posted by luckygal (My Page) on Wed, Jul 4, 12 at 12:45
Interesting thread!


I've always called faucets "taps". Since living in Europe I've called our 1/2 bath a "toilette" (pronounced toy-letta) but most people probably call it a powder room."

Also:

"Darf ich auf die Toilette" [Darf ick owf dee Toy-letta]means may I use the toilet in German. It is a polite way to ask. "Wo ist die Toilette" [Vo ist dee Toy-letta]means where is the toilet in German.

And Italian:

Where is the bathroom – Dov’ e la toiletta (DOH VAY LA TOY LETTA)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MyLifeVacation1,

Apparently all of you except My Life's Vacation didn't read Joyluck's response to the thread of "what do you call the rooms in your house".

Having taken 4 years of French in high school and 18 college hours, I was aware of not only the definition but the correction pronunciation of the french word toilette. However in her response, Joyluck called her powder room a TOY-LETTA which is a different pronunciation and I was curious as to the origin of the different pronunciation.

From what My Life's Vacation has posted here, apparently the German pronunciation has somehow infiltrated the language of British Columbia instead of the French.

MyLifeVacation1 is correct and I heard the word when we lived in Germany and started calling the powder room 'the toilette'. Before that I think I used the term 1/2 bath rather than powder room which I think was more common here 'back when'. Bathroom fixtures were sometimes arranged strangely in Germany. In one apartment we lived in there was a tiny room with a toilet and a very small sink with only cold water. The main bathroom was huge with a large pedestal sink that was about 3' across, a bidet, a large tub, and a separate large shower but NO toilet! It was truly a BATHroom and that's all one could do in it. It was also tile all over - floor and walls up to about 7 feet in the 9 foot ceilings. That was a new apartment with about 1400 square feet but only 2 bedrooms. Another apartment we lived in had a sink in each of the 3 bedrooms, a half bath with toilet and sink, and again a BATHroom with tub with shower, bidet, and 2 sinks. Also tiled all over. That apartment was probably built in the 1920's and had a main hallway that was 6' wide and about 40' long.

Lu, I expect the only ones in BC, or anywhere, who use the word are those who have lived in Germany.

There are quite a few French phrases I use as have lived in Quebec as well as traveled in France altho am far from fluent.

IF one is lucky, they learn something new every day. What a hoot!!!

I think I am going to incorporate the word Toy-Letta into my vocabulary just to confound my friends. LOL LOVE IT!!!

In certain parts of NYC, it's pronounced "ter-let." :>)

quote:

In certain parts of NYC, it's pronounced "ter-let." :>)

and it's "facets" that dispense the water!

Speaking of French and toilets. I picked up this brass plate from the French Quarter in N.O. about 20 years ago. It has been on my guest bath door ever since.

Only recently did I find out that's what they call public urination places in Paris. EWWW

It's staying anyway. LOL!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by zone9alady:
Only recently did I find out that's what they call public urination places in Paris. EWWW[/QUOTE

LOL, yes I've seen those signs!

For awhile I had a rustic sign on my toilette door that said "the john"!