# Do the English "have" a shower? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805 "2006-04-22T23:33:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/1 "2006-04-22T23:33:17Z")
I saw a play last night, written by an English playwrite, in which several characters said they were going “to have a shower.” In the United States, of course, we would say " take a shower." Is “have a shower” the usual expression in the U. K.? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/2 "2006-04-22T23:38:01Z")
Yes. Both are common and interchangeable phrases. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/3 "2006-04-23T01:15:05Z")
We “have” showers in Canada, too. Do you really not hear this in the States? Maybe regionally? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/4 "2006-04-23T01:41:34Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Yes. Both are common and interchangeable phrases. Native Southern Californian. Both are used, but ‘take’ is more common. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/5 "2006-04-23T02:37:03Z")
Since your question has been answered can I hijack and ask if the English “do” sex? The protagonist from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time always said “doing” sex instead of _having_ it but I don’t know if it was just one of his idiosyncrasies or if people actually say that over there. ---
**Author:** ![Sutremaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sutremaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sutremaine)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/6 "2006-04-23T02:45:48Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > Since your question has been answered can I hijack and ask if the English “do” sex? The protagonist from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time always said “doing” sex instead of _having_ it but I don’t know if it was just one of his idiosyncrasies or if people actually say that over there. I’ve never heard that one; it’s either ‘doing it’, ‘having sex’, or ‘having it off’. I’d put that down as one of the protagonist’s quirks. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/7 "2006-04-23T02:50:55Z")
Yes, apparently it is at 23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/8 "2006-04-23T03:38:22Z")
I thought the thread title was a comment on the dodgy state of English plumbing. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/9 "2006-04-23T03:39:54Z")
Grew up in the Washington DC area, lived in NC, and Ohio. Never heard “have a shower”, except from friends in England. This would be in 62 years. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/10 "2006-04-23T04:17:24Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > I thought the thread title was a comment on the dodgy state of English plumbing. And I thought it was a comment on the dodgy state of English hygiene. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/11 "2006-04-23T04:24:42Z")
Well, we certainly “have” a shower here in beautiful Carp, Ontario. (From time to time… 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/12 "2006-04-23T05:23:54Z")
Of course you’re “having” a shower… Where would you “take” a shower? To the zoo? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FenneF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c0e974/32.png) [@FenneF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FenneF)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/13 "2006-04-23T05:27:08Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > Since your question has been answered can I hijack and ask if the English “do” sex? The protagonist from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time always said “doing” sex instead of _having_ it but I don’t know if it was just one of his idiosyncrasies or if people actually say that over there. No, it’s peculiar to the book. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/14 "2006-04-23T05:28:01Z")
> [@Sierra Indigo](#): > > Of course you’re “having” a shower… Where would you “take” a shower? To the zoo? > > 😉 But of course! How else are we going to stop those damn dirty apes? ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/15 "2006-04-23T06:26:58Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > Since your question has been answered can I hijack and ask if the English “do” sex? The protagonist from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time always said “doing” sex instead of _having_ it but I don’t know if it was just one of his idiosyncrasies or if people actually say that over there. It’s definitely one of his quirks, and to me it emphasises his lack of emotional connectedness to everything - even sex. Just IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/16 "2006-04-23T06:40:06Z")
Note to self: address OP when possible. I have always had showers and will always have showers. I’m from India, FWIW. Funnily enough, I think the English take baths, even though they have showers. Maybe the apes at the zoo are fussy. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/17 "2006-04-23T07:04:52Z")
I had to think about it, but I believe I “have” and “take” showers pretty interchangably. (West Coast Canuck here.) Oh, and no showers at our zoo. Into the washtub with 'em! ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/18 "2006-04-23T09:07:44Z")
> [@Dervorin](#): > > Note to self: address OP when possible. > > I have always had showers and will always have showers. I’m from India, FWIW. Funnily enough, I think the English take baths, even though they have showers. Maybe the apes at the zoo are fussy. 😉 I always say “have a bath/shower”. Saying “take a bath” sounds southern to my ears. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/19 "2006-04-23T12:47:45Z")
> [@Dominic Mulligan](#): > > I always say “have a bath/shower”. Saying “take a bath” sounds southern to my ears. Is that “southern” as in Brighton or Atlanta? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805/20 "2006-04-23T12:53:34Z")
> [@Sierra Indigo](#): > > Where would you “take” a shower? To the same place you take a shit. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-english-have-a-shower/353805.md?page=2)