“I’m just going around the corner.” To many people, this means that I moving, and am physically walking, or driving, around the corner. I will go out on a limb to say that this phrase is more often heard sitting at a bar with friends. This may seem odd, but when I say it in German, “ich gehe mal um die Ecke,” it means that I am going to use the restroom. Sometimes, it is even shortened, from the “I need to go around the corner,” or “ich muss mal um die Ecke,” to just stating that “I need to,” or “ich muss mal.” No further explanation necessary. Physically, yes, the restroom is usually around one, or several, corners, not to mention up or down at least one set of stairs. Interestingly, this shortened version is very close to the slang, “I need to go,” in instances where the speaker is clearly not leaving the party. No one has ever seen the need to explain exactly where they are going.

The next closest phase in the English language actually comes from the Navy, in which sailors “hit the head.” The location refers to the bow, the front of the ship, where the salt water sprays washed over the area which had a cleansing effect. The “head” refers to the carvings of figureheads, attached to the bow, which were thought to ensure a safe voyage or a successful battle. These carved heads took the form of mermaids, pirates, Vikings, as well as religious and mythological figures. I will still never look at a historical ship in the same way.

I realize that I am running into the danger of countless examples of bathroom humor, but it is still amazing that there are so many euphemisms on this topic. Few people use the word “toilet” in the Americas or in Europe. Instead, we have the “WC,” common in Germany, which is literally translated as a “water closet,” referring to the indoor plumbing that took care of waste. But who actually rests in a restroom? While some high-end hotels have small lounges as an entry into the actual restroom, I have never seen anyone linger. Most of us prefer to rest elsewhere.

*Birgit