I “poo.” I think it sounds funnier and possibly more onamatopoetic to have one blunt consonant end and one trailing vowel end. And “poo” is simply the more familiar version of the word I learned as a little kid (born in 1980s Ontario).
To me “poop” always felt like a less-gross euphemism largely confined to media professionals who are embarrassed to print/broadcast the word “poo”, rather than a word anyone in the real world would use, but that is probably wrong. According to Etymonline, “poop” has referred to feces since the 1740s whereas “poo” is a relatively recent 1950s invention. So, tell me your age and region if you post a reply.
I’ve heard “poop” more often than “poo”, and I’m in the Northeast (grew up in NJ, now in the Boston area).
Incidentally, I have a friend who said that what her dog did on his walk was “peep” and “poop”. She’s the only one I ever heard using “peep” for “pee”, and I think it was unique to her. But if “poo” had been the usual term, she’d have said “pee” and “poo”, rather than making her own micturition neologism.
Me? I “go”, or I “take a shit”. Or, if I’m in a doctor’s office, I report on my bowel movements, indicating the color, texture and odor of the feces, if asked.
My youngest kid poops. I have no idea where she heard the term, but she’s sticking to it, so I use it with her. (She knows the correct medical terms, though.)
When doing an assessment, I ask patients if they’ve had a “bowel movement” or if they’ve “moved their bowels”, generally while I’m palpating or listening to their gut, so most people understand what I’m asking. If they look at me blankly, I amend it to “poop”. Most of them, if not using “bowel movement”, seem most comfortable with “poop” or “ca-ca”. The latter actually makes my skin crawl, but since I’m there to make them as comfortable as possible, I use that term with those patients who use it first. Seems mostly people for whom English is a second language who use “ca-ca”, so maybe it’s a term in their first language? I don’t know any native English speakers who use ca-ca past toddlerhood, although I’m sure they’re out there.
36 year old female born and raised in Chicagoland.
If I’m out in public with my wife or friends or whatever, and nature calls (then begins to leave lengthy messages) so that I’ll need to depart from the group, I’ll usually announce this to whoever needs to know by saying “poop” in a high-pitched, cartoony noise. Anyone who may have overheard might think I was probably just making a noise and/or being weird. Such are my descreet ways.
When I’m at home, I just declare “I gotta shit!”, as I push my kids out of the way.
‘Doot’ as a euphemism for turd is increasing in popularity in the Midwest, particularly in regard to animal excreta.
To my way of thinking, poo or poop inflects a textural connotation towards the soft, or less resilent forms, while ‘doot’ confers a more substantial and composed packet.
As such, depending on diet and medication, I sometimes will leave poo or doots.
I don’t say either of those, as I am not six years old. I actually rarely announce or discuss my bowel movements at all. (I find black and white photography to be far more effective than words.)
Good point. ‘Poo’ from an American sounds like an affectation. ‘Poop’ from a Brit sounds like an affectation. The correct term depends on which side of the pond you’re from.
The South Park episode highlighting Randy’s massive output used the term ‘crap’ throughout the entire episode.
I found this odd, and unsettling, it made the whole story unSouth Parky to me. Seems like an edgier moniker might have given an otherwise acceptable show that little flash of exceptionalism we expect from South Park.
I suspect “Doot” is a shortened form of “duty”, which I’ve encountered elsewhere. Although it looks like it might come from “dooty”, I suspect the origin is from the phrase “did his duty”, a lengthy circumlocution used at least as far back as the 1950s to mean that a baby has pooped. Or pooed.
I like to bust out all the various euphemisms, depending on my mood, but at home will frequently go with “I have to poo some poo out of my bum.” 'Cuz I’m all about being classy.
