# English folks, question about 'taking a wee' **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 18, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173 "2022-11-18T23:18:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/41 "2022-11-20T17:24:15Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I can’t remember the last time I used the word “poo.” Have you seen the footage Alexandra Pelosi shot while the congresspeople were in hiding during the Jan 6th insurrection? Nancy was describing how the morons were desecrating the Capitol, and she hesitated before saying they were smearing the walls with “poo poo.” I put it down to her being a grandmother. My favorite part of that film, though, is when she says she’d like to hit Trump in the nose…and she’d happily go to jail for it. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/42 "2022-11-21T09:40:55Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > has “I gotta see a man about a horse?” been mentioned? On this side of the ocean, it’s a dog (not so much room for horses). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/43 "2022-11-21T11:50:54Z")
Many years ago, a guy originally from Texas stood up at a meeting and said he had to see a man about a dog. We all took him literally and began discussing why he needed to see a man about a dog. It was really a strange experience. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/44 "2022-11-21T17:09:14Z")
Now you all have got me thinking whether it’s dog or horse that I use or even both. Looking it up, I see both are usual, as is “duck.” That I haven’t heard. But I have also spent much time with Brits and Irish, so it’s probably all mixed up in my vocabulary. It’s not a usual expression among the people I grew up with, but rather something I picked up in my early 20s. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/45 "2022-11-21T17:43:21Z")
I’ve always heard it (and used it) as “horse.” Besides, that way I can chuckle to myself on the way to the “Gents” with the joke in my head. A traveling salesman bets a farmer $50 he can make the farmers horse laugh. The farmer takes the bet. The guy walks back to the horses stall and sure enough, the horse breaks out in laughter. The farmer just shook his head as the guy came back. Then the guy bets the farmer $100 he can make the horse cry. Farmer sees a chance to make back his money and agrees. A minute later the horse is bawling. As the guy folded up his winnings and prepared to depart, the farmer asks how the salesman made the horse laugh. “I told him I had a bigger dick than he did” said the salesman. “And when he cried?” “I showed him.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/46 "2022-11-21T18:45:52Z")
Yeah now that I’ve been away from the thread and back, it is “horse” most naturally for me. I also connect it with the expression “piss like a racehorse.” But “dog” wouldn’t catch notice from me. “Duck” would. Nice joke, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/47 "2022-11-21T19:51:39Z")
In the UK it is very much “see a man about a dog” but for those of us of a certain vintage it may also be “shave a horse” (tm Roger’s Profanisaurus) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/48 "2022-11-21T20:02:59Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > A common graffito in men’s toilets at the time was _“Here I sit, broken-hearted. Spent a penny and only farted.”_ That’s interesting. Here in the US I’ve seen the graffito _“Here I sit, broken-hearted. Paid to shit, and only farted.”_ Which rhymes better than the “penny” version. I’d love to know which one was first. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/49 "2022-11-21T20:15:29Z")
I’ve seen "_Came to shit, and only farted_.” ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/50 "2022-11-21T22:31:33Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > “see a man about a dog” I’ve heard both - though never duck (that being reserved for things that growing children were knee-high to). I am curious how that euphemism came about. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/51 "2022-11-21T22:31:53Z")
Same here, as I’m not too familiar with there being many paid toilets in the US. In fact, I can’t remember ever paying here. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/52 "2022-11-21T22:36:36Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > I am curious how that euphemism came about. Wiki: _The earliest confirmed publication is the 1866 [Dion Boucicault] in which a character knowingly breezes past a difficult situation saying, "Excuse me Mr. Quail, I can’t stop; I’ve got to see a man about a dog._ Also _“In the UK the phrase is generally used nowadays as a polite way of saying, “I (am going out / have been out), don’t ask where,” often with the cheeky implication that you are about to be, or have been, up to no good, usually indecent or illegal activities.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2022, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/53 "2022-11-23T20:01:31Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > > [@Yosh99](#): > > > > I think of “poo” as a verb and “poop” as a noun. > > For me, as an American, both are used in verb and noun forms. My tendency (and what I feel the tendency is) is that “poo” is a bit more toddler-talk than “poop.” On the other hand “poop” does sound a little more cutesy than “poo,” as well, so maybe it’s not just on that scale. > > I can’t remember the last time I used the word “poo.” The dog poops in the yard, and afterward I have to scoop his poops. My go-to is “shit,” then “crap,” then “poop” (for both noun and verb forms) depending on what level of decorum is appropriate to the crowd I’m just pulling this out of my butt (heh), but I wonder if this represents the Dutch influence on American English. (The Dutch are the reason we eat “cookies” rather than “biscuits”.) “Poepen” is the verb for “defecate” in that language, and the University of Google suggests that it’s related to “poop”. “Poo”, on the other hand, appears to be onomatopoeic and subsequently associated with “poop”. Just a SWAG, though. ---
**Author:** ![Esturionette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9d8465/32.png) [@Esturionette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esturionette)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/54 "2022-11-23T22:36:18Z")
I’m a woman and an immigrant in Britain, but I enjoy saying “I need to see a man about a dog” for the humour value. It elicits a polite chuckle in mixed company. Among women, we usually just say “I need a wee” or “I need a pee”, to which the usual answer is “don’t fall in” or “take one for me as well”. Something that hasn’t been mentioned yet is old women (and only them) entering an establishment like a cafe or restaurant and informing an employee “I’m bursting”, or “I’m about to burst”, which means she’s looking for the facilities. I was confused the first time it happened. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2022, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/55 "2022-11-24T11:00:15Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > “Poepen” is the verb for “defecate” in that language, and the University of Google suggests that it’s related to “poop” “Poep” is the noun in Dutch, hence signs like this: > **[Hondenpoep](https://www.wevelgem.be/hondenpoep)** > > Wat zijn de regels? Een gemeentelijk politiereglement verplicht elke eigenaar, houder of begeleider van een hond om de uitwerpselen ervan onmiddellijk te verwijderen. Daarom moeten zij steeds in het ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/56 "2022-11-25T19:26:20Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > > > Try the comedy panel shows like _8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown_, or _Would I Lie To You_ or the late _Mock The Week_. If Lee Mack teasing David Mitchell, or Dara Ò Briain riffing with Ed Byrne, doesn’t crack you up, you might need a humor transplant. > > Generally, I like British humor, so I was disappointed. I haven’t seen any of the ones you mentioned. Are they on Acorn? I’ll check them out if they are. I mostly find these shows (and British panel shows in general) on YouTube. They’ll usually be blocked for people in the UK, but available in the rest of the world, which tells you the copyright owners don’t mind foreigners watching. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/57 "2022-11-26T08:11:48Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > “Poep” is the noun in Dutch I saw a sign in Brussels prohibiting hound poop. It made me very happy. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/58 "2022-11-27T15:43:27Z")
I believe that Dutch is where the use of the word kaka originated. When questioned about a missing person at a gathering or co worker, I will say: “x skipped to the loo”. This sometimes leads to singing. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/59 "2022-11-27T17:06:08Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > I believe that Dutch is where the use of the word kaka originated. I don’t know about Dutch, but in German “Kacke” is the grown-up’s term meaning “crap”, while “Kacka” is the cutesy children’s term. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173/60 "2022-11-27T17:49:55Z")
Interesting… I thought it might have been a Dutch thing that came out of New York, perhaps it is a German thing that came out of Pennsylvania; or a mix of both. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-folks-question-about-taking-a-wee/975173.md?page=4)