Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

How Bangladesh vanquished diarrhoea

economist.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 62 posts

Re: How Bangladesh vanquished diarrhoea

#41

Post by coldsauce »

goldenkey wrote: post #15
grzm wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Water closet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flush_toilet

Thanks, I can't believe I had never heard that synonym for toilet until now!

It's also another way to say bathroom in Serbian! I had no idea other languages used it, too.

Re: How Bangladesh vanquished diarrhoea

#42

Post by vidarh »

blhack wrote: post #30
magic_beans wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’ve never been to Canada, Europe, or India?

I've been to all of those places and only ever heard it called a WC or "water closet" in my high school french class.

It's fading out of use in most of Europe, as far as I can tell. My grandmother used to always say WC in Norway. I don't know of anyone in my parents generation (born around 1950) or younger that'd use it. We're mostly all familiar with it still though.

Re: How Bangladesh vanquished diarrhoea

#44

Post by itpragmatik »

cornholio wrote: post #5

The approach to build latrines for the poorest people then shame the "rich" into building ones for themselves is marvelously devious. According to the article, even marriages were canceled after it was revealed that the family of one of the newly weds is without this essential status simbol.

Somewhat similar story is a movie plot for a recent popular bollywood movie: "Toilet, Ek Prem Katha" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet%3A_Ek_Prem_Katha

Re: How Bangladesh vanquished diarrhoea

#45

Post by manmal »

vidarh wrote: post #42
blhack wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been to all of those places and only ever heard it called a WC or "water closet" in my high school french class.

It's fading out of use in most of Europe, as far as I can tell. My grandmother used to always say WC in Norway. I don't know of anyone in my parents generation (born around 1950) or younger that'd use it. We're mostly all familiar with it still though.

It’s still pretty common in at least Germany and Austria, but is superseded by „Toilette“.

Re: How Bangladesh vanquished diarrhoea

#46

Post by 77pt77 »

coldsauce wrote: post #41
goldenkey wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, I can't believe I had never heard that synonym for toilet until now!

It's also another way to say bathroom in Serbian! I had no idea other languages used it, too.

Very common across Europe. I'd say almost universal.

Re: How Bangladesh vanquished diarrhoea

#49

Post by lloydde »

magic_beans wrote: post #22
goldenkey wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, I can't believe I had never heard that synonym for toilet until now!

You’ve never been to Canada, Europe, or India?

Not common in Canada at least not in the twentyfirst century. I’m from western Canada and have visited most other provinces.
Post reply on HN