# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/21 "2009-05-05T17:32:47Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > 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. My family calls that the “back door trots.”😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/22 "2009-05-05T17:57:19Z")
I’m also American, and have never heard it before. For a minute I thought it was a slam against the president of Afghanistan. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/23 "2009-05-05T18:08:45Z")
We always called them kiboes (long i) when I was a kid. This was some vernacular picked up from my brother’s boy scout troop in California. I’ve never heard anyone else use the term since, though. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/24 "2009-05-05T18:09:14Z")
So if a person was fanatical about outhouses, and made it difficult to buy one of their outhouses, would that person be a Khazi Nazi? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/25 "2009-05-05T18:18:01Z")
I referred to macadam once and the person did an 😕. And another friend refused to believe there was such a thing as a cherry picker. [![](https://www.cheshire-gardens.com/album/slides/Tree%20pruning%20using%20large%20cherry%20picker%20lift.jpg) ](https://www.cheshire-gardens.com/album/slides/Tree%20pruning%20using%20large%20cherry%20picker%20lift.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/26 "2009-05-05T18:57:32Z")
> [@TroubleAgain](#): > > My family calls that the “back door trots.”😉 Barfing and pooping at the same time is referred to as " Two exits, no waiting." Poop. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/27 "2009-05-05T19:09:28Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > Barfing and pooping at the same time is referred to as " Two exits, no waiting." You must be confused, we call that “pukin’ and dookin’” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/28 "2009-05-05T19:19:13Z")
I’m glad I’m not the only one who read the OP with no hope of comprehension. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/29 "2009-05-05T19:20:39Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > We always called them kiboes (long i) when I was a kid. This was some vernacular picked up from my brother’s boy scout troop in California. I’ve never heard anyone else use the term since, though. In Girl Scouts we called 'em biffys- Bathroom In Forest For You! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/30 "2009-05-05T19:25:32Z")
Years ago, I was music directing a show, and my then-GF had a lead role in it. We both needed a little help with the score, so we called on her good friend Steve to play some piano for us. Now understand that Steve is quite the accomplished musician, and is a hell of a sight reader. At the end of our session, we thanked him profusely. He said “I’m sorry that my sight reading was so terrible.” I replied “Are you kidding? Dude, you’re a monster!” Both he and GF got totally offended by that. I genuflected until my pants were baggy, trying to explain that it was the highest form of compliment. They remained convinced that I’d just accused him of being a pedophile. They never forgave me for that. Isn’t it common knowledge that “monster” is a compliment? ---
**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, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/31 "2009-05-05T19:31:13Z")
Considering the context, I fail to see how either of them could have been offended by that. ---
**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, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/32 "2009-05-05T19:41:58Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Years ago, I was music directing a show, and my then-GF had a lead role in it. We both needed a little help with the score, so we called on her good friend Steve to play some piano for us. Now understand that Steve is quite the accomplished musician, and is a hell of a sight reader. > > At the end of our session, we thanked him profusely. He said “I’m sorry that my sight reading was so terrible.” I replied “Are you kidding? Dude, you’re a monster!” > > Both he and GF got totally offended by that. I genuflected until my pants were baggy, trying to explain that it was the highest form of compliment. They remained convinced that I’d just accused him of being a pedophile. They never forgave me for that. > > Isn’t it common knowledge that “monster” is a compliment? Even if they didn’t realize it was a compliment ( it’s pretty clear from context, even if you didn’t know exactly what that slang meant) why did they think you were calling them a pedophile??? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/33 "2009-05-05T19:45:34Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Even if they didn’t realize it was a compliment ( it’s pretty clear from context, even if you didn’t know exactly what that slang meant) why did they think you were calling them a pedophile??? Search me. I think the context made it quite clear, but apparently it wasn’t. Why would I insult someone who just did me a huge favor? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/34 "2009-05-05T19:48:03Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Even if they didn’t realize it was a compliment ( it’s pretty clear from context, even if you didn’t know exactly what that slang meant) why did they think you were calling them a pedophile??? I’d bet money on a guilty conscience. ---
**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, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/35 "2009-05-05T20:17:56Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I’ve never heard of ‘khazi’ _or_ ‘kharzi’. I wonder why the variation. It’s a made-up word from the italian (“casa” in the context of house of ill repute), so there’s no “official” spelling. I always thought it was Indian like “khaki”, which is probably where the spelling came from, but apparently not! The additional “r” is most likely due to variantions in English accents… in the south of England we use a long “a” (khaaaarzi), in the north of England it’s a flatter “a” (kha’zi). Ask a Yorkshireman and a Cockney how to pronouce “bath” or “grass” and you’ll get the idea. ---
**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, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/36 "2009-05-05T20:27:21Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I’ve never heard of ‘khazi’ _or_ ‘kharzi’. I wonder why the variation. I’m thinkng the latter is an error related to the name of the Afghan president Mohammad Kharzi. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/37 "2009-05-05T20:32:31Z")
I know of kharzi as slang for bathroom/outhouse (I think it’s probably British army slang from India), and guessed the meaning of the phrase, but outside of a few of my buddies, it would get you puzzled looks around here as well. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/38 "2009-05-05T21:28:37Z")
[QUOTE=Wallenstein] It’s a dead common phrase in Liverpool (UK), I’ve heard it many times from the scouse side of my family. [/QUOTE] The what side? [QUOTE=kambuckta] 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. [/QUOTE] A pit what? Once again, we are both united and divided (and perplexed!) by our common language. ---
**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, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/39 "2009-05-05T21:31:45Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > The what side? [Scouse - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouse#History_of_the_Term_.27Scouse.27) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402/40 "2009-05-05T21:44:22Z")
Dunny = Aussie bathroom. I have a coworker who referred to the dunny once and oddly I was the only person, in a room filled with people of a bunch of nationalities, who knew what she was talking about. Where I picked up the word, I have no idea. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-thought-it-was-common-knowledge/495402.md?page=3)