# I thought it was common-knowledge..... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 5, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402 "2009-05-05T11:48:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/1 "2009-05-05T11:48:51Z")
I was chatting to some coworkers today and spoke of a ‘Long Drop Karzi’ expecting smiles of recognition and approval for my humorous use of the vernacular. 😃 Instead I got ‘Wot the fuck are you on about Kam?’ and ‘What’s a Karzi?’ 😕 In short, I have long had an understanding that the common name for a toilet with a deep pit and no sewerage connection nor flushing mechanism is a ‘Long Drop Karzi’…long-drop indicating the depth of the shit pit, and Karzi being an affectionate term for the perch upon which you perch yourself to fill the pit etc. Getting home tonight, I decided to ‘Google’ the term, and came back with no bloody hits whatsoever. \* I thought\* it was common knowledge. Seems I am buggered. 😃 What things do you do, or say, that you assume others will understand but ends up being some esoteric or private ‘joke’ that you end up spending hours friggin’ explaining to the ignorant? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/2 "2009-05-05T12:33:30Z")
It’s spelled [Khazi](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=khazi). Though as it’s an entirely made up word, a true [correct spelling](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/khazi) is arguable. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/3 "2009-05-05T12:44:45Z")
Of course, when I was **speaking** to the coworkers, the pronunciation was correct even if the spelling wasn’t! 😃 Thanks for the link **GuanoLad.** At least I’m not the only person in the world to understand the term, but I truly believed until today that the pit dunny was commonly known as a Khazi…long-drop or otherwise. Back to the boring old **DUNNY** I guess. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/4 "2009-05-05T13:06:04Z")
Brit here,I’m familiar with the term Khazi(Though I always thought that it was a ME ruler in a Carry On film when I was a kid) but not the Long drop bit. ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/5 "2009-05-05T13:56:18Z")
I’ve never heard the word “khazi” in my life, much less any descriptive phrases thereof. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/6 "2009-05-05T13:58:34Z")
American here. Never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/7 "2009-05-05T14:01:16Z")
It’s a dead common phrase in Liverpool (UK), I’ve heard it many times from the scouse side of my family. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/8 "2009-05-05T14:12:05Z")
> [@Claire\_Beauchamp](#): > > I’ve never heard the word “khazi” in my life, much less any descriptive phrases thereof. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/9 "2009-05-05T14:28:02Z")
What the hell are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/10 "2009-05-05T14:29:34Z")
Everything I say is a complete mystery to those around me. Apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/11 "2009-05-05T14:43:40Z")
I’ve heard the term, but only because I listen to massive amounts of British radio. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/12 "2009-05-05T15:08:58Z")
Never heard the OP’s term, although I am an American, if that makes any difference. As to the other question, and in keeping with the scatological theme, I’ve used the phrase “the green-apple quickstep” to describe the scramble you have to do when you realize your bowels have turned to liquid and you have to get to a toilet NOW. People tend to look at me like this: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/13 "2009-05-05T15:39:52Z")
I think I’ve heard that term on “Are You Being Served?” wherever I heard it, it was def pronounced “kar-zee.” I had an unfortunate experience in Europe when I referred to a “Fanny-pack” (you would know this as a “bum bag”.) Yeah, that wasn’t my meaning\* at all\* . . . ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/14 "2009-05-05T15:43:43Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > It’s spelled [Khazi](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=khazi). > > Though as it’s an entirely made up word, a true [correct spelling](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/khazi) is arguable. Excellent username/post combo! Never heard of it either- American ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/15 "2009-05-05T16:55:19Z")
Heard of Khazi, but my mother is from Melbourne. In fact, I recall a rather peculiar book called ‘Dinkum Dunnies’ from when I was a kid, so I may have read it there. I don’t think it was a term mum would have used. ‘Long drop’ is a new one. Are your coworkers particularly urban? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/16 "2009-05-05T16:58:29Z")
I’ve never heard of ‘khazi’ _or_ ‘kharzi’. I wonder why the variation. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/17 "2009-05-05T17:05:18Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Everything I say is a complete mystery to those around me. Apparently. Maybe you should stop hypnotizing them. Just sayin’. As a frequent expat, and in several different countries, I tend to find myself in the other end from the OP’s, i.e., having to ask people things like “how do I locate a doctor here?” or “what are folger nuggets?” or “ehm, what’s home runs and bases got to do with setting up a quality management system, please?” ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/18 "2009-05-05T17:10:44Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > “what are folger nuggets?” 😕 Do you mean [Folgers Crystals](http://www.folgers.com/coffees/instant/crystals.aspx)? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/19 "2009-05-05T17:21:27Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > ‘What’s a Karzi?’ 😕 > > … > > In short, I have long had an understanding that the common name for a toilet with a deep pit and no sewerage connection nor flushing mechanism is a ‘Long Drop Karzi’…long-drop indicating the depth of the shit pit, and Karzi being an affectionate term for the perch upon which you perch yourself to fill the pit etc. I had a sinking feeling you were making an unflattering comparison to [this gentleman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Karzai), but it sounds like the phrase predates his prominence in the news media. “Long Drop” would be a hell of a nickname though. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/20 "2009-05-05T17:23:30Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > 😕 > Do you mean [Folgers Crystals](http://www.folgers.com/coffees/instant/crystals.aspx)? Nope, Folger’s Nuggets. Apparently it’s a not-in-use-anymore brand of Folger’s coffee. My American colleagues had problems understanding that, not only had Folger’s Nuggets never been sold in Spain, but the Folger’s brand doesn’t exist in Spain (or France, Italy, Germany and Holland, as vouched by the other expats in the team). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402.md?page=2)