History Main / GoToTheEuphemism

* ''WesternAnimation/HalloweenIsGrinchNight'': Ukariah says he needs to "go to the euphemism" after Grandpa Josiah tells him the story of the Grinch. This is the TropeNamer.

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* ''WesternAnimation/FairlyOddparents'':

[[folder: Real Life]]

* Even "toilet" was originally an euphemism, previously referring to the process of and a room for hairdressing/grooming.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' fanfic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/17657111/chapters/41640680 The Emperor]]'', the Doctor needs to pee and says that he has to take care of "a private matter of a biological nature".

Common phrases include "see a man about a horse"[[note]]Although that can also be used for other embarrassing things like going to buy a drink.[[/note]], "use the little boys/girls room", and "powder my nose".

* For bonus irony, note that "bathroom" is itself somewhat euphemistic, and may not always be understood by, for example, people for whom English is not their first language. The standard American "Restroom" certainly occasionally confuses visitors from other English-speaking countries. (Oddly enough, "restroom" wasn't always a euphemism; there [[AluminumChristmasTrees really used to be]] public bathrooms with [[https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-glamorous-sexist-history-of-the-women-s-restroom-lounge rooms]] attached where women could rest on couches, as it was assumed at the time that women were too delicate to spend a whole day out of the house without needing to stop and rest. That's why "restroom" today is used exclusively to refer to public facilities, while "bathroom" can be used for a public one or one in somebody's house.) But then, even "toilet" was originally an euphemism, previously referring to the process of and a room for hairdressing/grooming.
** Bathroom can even confuse native English speakers if they are unused to the concept of the toilet being in the same room as the bath. Particularly in older houses in the UK, the toilet would be in a separate room (in "the toilet"), and asking to go to "the bathroom" may yield directions from your host to the room that contains a bath/shower and hand sink...but no toilet.
** "Water closet" (or just "WC") can confuse Americans who have never heard the term before.

* For bonus irony, note that "bathroom" is itself somewhat euphemistic, and may not always be understood by, for example, people for whom English is not their first language. The standard American "Restroom" certainly occasionally confuses visitors from other English-speaking countries. (But then, even "toilet" was originally an euphemism, previously referring to the process of and a room for hairdressing/grooming.)
** Bathroom can even confuse native English speakers if they are unused to the concept of the toilet being in the same room as the bath. Particularly in older houses in the UK, the toilet would be in a separate room (in "the toilet"), and asking to go to "the bathroom" may yield directions from your host to the room that contains a bath/shower and hand sink...but no toilet.

* ''WesternAnimation/BigMouth'': While Andrew is dealing with an impacted poop due to a psychological inability to use the bathroom for four weeks, Maury lets out a multiple euphemisms to explain the severe consequences of "poop madness".

[[quoteright:350:[[WebAnimation/TheChampions2018 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/335c96ac_0ec9_4e6e_867d_7f0b28cdb0ac.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Everybody [[{{pun}} Pepe’s]]]]

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12525089/1/Anger-Management Anger Management]]'', [[WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse Lynn Loud]] refers to pooping as "making room for breakfast". Not only is this crude, it's biologically incorrect, since newly-swallowed food goes to the stomach, while poop goes out the lower intestine.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/335c96ac_0ec9_4e6e_867d_7f0b28cdb0ac.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Everybody [[{{pun}} Pepe’s]]]]

[[
quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/335c96ac_0ec9_4e6e_867d_7f0b28cdb0ac.png]]

[[WebAnimation/TheChampions2018

[[WebAnimation/TheChampions2018 quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/335c96ac_0ec9_4e6e_867d_7f0b28cdb0ac.png]]

[[WebAnimation/TheChampions2018 quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/335c96ac_0ec9_4e6e_867d_7f0b28cdb0ac.png]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/335c96ac_0ec9_4e6e_867d_7f0b28cdb0ac.png]]

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/527be6f0_efff_49a2_b725_56edca948b22.png]]
[[caption-width-right:320:Let’s go somewhere that doesn’t smell like a [[{{pun}} Porto Potty]].]]

[[caption-width-right:320:Let’s go somewhere that doesn’t smell like a [[{{pun}}Porto Potty]].]]

* ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'': Zefram Cochrane says he needs to "take a leak". Geordi remarks that there is no leak, to which Cochrane retorts, "Don't you people from the 24th century ever pee?" This also acts as an in-joke on how the display aboard the Enterprise-D only shows one toilet on the entire ship.

[[folder: Film]]
* ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'': Zefram Cochrane says he needs to "take a leak". Geordi remarks that there is no leak, to which Cochrane retorts, "Don't you people from the 24th century ever pee?" This also acts as an in-joke on how the display aboard the Enterprise-D only shows one toilet on the entire ship.

* In the Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse novel ''[[Literature/FortunesOfWar Battlestations!]]'', the lead character Piper finds that she suddenly and urgently needs to use the head while on the bridge during a tense situation. She asks Spock, who is currently in the captain's chair, "Permission to step updeck?" and is very thankful that he (almost) immediately understands the request.
* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'', Clan cats use the phrase "making dirt" to refer to relieving themselves; the spot they do this gets called the "dirtplace".

* ''WesternAnimation/WhatsWithAndy'': In "Emergency Spew Relish", Andy pretends he has to poop when really it's just a stink bomb. He says, "I have to lay a bomb!"

* In ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', the dentist who took Nemo says "I have to see a man about a wallaby" before going to the bathroom.

* The ''WesternAnimation/CowAndChicken'' episode "Chicken in the Bathroom" had several examples of potty code words. In the episode, Chicken doesn't want to take a bath and occupies the bathroom in the process. Outside the room, Mom, Dad, and Cow urgently need to use the facilities, with the former two describing their situation with euphemisms such as "I have to squeeze my sponge" or "I need to water the ducks".

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': Gene says he's so excited, he has to "Talk to Uncle Ernie". Moments before, Gene said that "Talk to Uncle Ernie" would be a good euphemism for having to poop.
* ''WesternAnimation/BigMouth'': While Andrew is dealing with an impacted poop due to a psychological inability to use the bathroom for four weeks, Maury lets out a multiple euphemisms to explain the severe consequences of "poop madness".

* For bonus irony, note that "bathroom" is itself somewhat euphemistic, and may not always be understood by, for example, people for whom English is not their first language. The standard American "Restroom" certainly occasionally confuses visitors from other English-speaking countries. (But then, even "toilet" was originally a euphemism, previously referring to the process of and a room for hairdressing/grooming.)

* Episode 9 of ''LightNovel/HaiyoreNyarkoSan'' combines this with body-swap shenanigans: Nyarko, in a boy's body, uses a girl's euphemism ("Sprinkle water on some flowers"), Mahiro, in a girl's body, tells her to just say it straight, and is chided by Nyarko for not having more delicacy now that she's a girl.

* ''Series/WhiteCollar'': In the first season episode "Hard Sell"; If you had any doubt as to how criminal Caffrey is, his vernacular breaks the silence thusly:


-->'''Neal''': I'm gonna go rummage through your drawers and steal your most precious belongings.

--> -''[Peter glares disapprovingly]''

-->'''Neal''': I'm kidding. I need to go to the bathroom.

-->'''Peter''': Upstairs, first door on the left. Put the seat down when you're done.

-> (''leaves'')

-->'''Elizabeth''': Everything alright?

-->'''Neal''': Never been better. ''[points up]''

-->'''Elizabeth''': First door on the left.

* ''Series/White Collar'': In the first season episode "Hard Sell"; If you had any doubt as to how criminal Caffrey is, his vernacular breaks the silence thusly: