# What would you call this style of toilet in English? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 19, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285 "2015-01-19T15:02:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/41 "2015-01-21T23:34:29Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > I don’t know about “more fully” but it does make it easier. we’re pretty much “designed” to squat when dropping a deuce. When that design was finalized, the users didn’t live long enough to develop creaky knees, nor did they have enough food available for their center of gravity to make a squat difficult. I think the concept is intriguing but there would have to be bars nearby to hold onto, and to haul myself back to vertical afterward. Plus, no free hands to wipe? Ew. I’ll stick with a regular sit-upon toilet, thankyouverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/42 "2015-01-22T00:06:10Z")
> [@vomit\_comet](#): > > I wonder if you can get customized ones with faces of, say, not so popular presidents painted on them… Spike Milligans "Puckoon " describes an ancient family seat where the revolving (centrifugal force ) commode is adorned with sculptures of family enemies below with expectant mouths open ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/43 "2015-01-22T00:45:46Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I think the concept is intriguing but there would have to be bars nearby to hold onto, and to haul myself back to vertical afterward. Some places do have bars, sometimes just in front of you, sometimes in U-shape, along the walls. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/44 "2015-01-22T03:16:23Z")
> [@straight\_doped](#): > > where does the magic hole goto? > narnia? It goes … away. 😉 There are still pipes. Just pipes that exit. None for bringing water for a flush. For that, you scoop the water out of a small reservoir nearby. There’s a tap there to fill that up. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/45 "2015-01-22T03:27:59Z")
I’ve used public squats in France out of desperation. None of them have ever seemed clean. To make matters worse, i have a poor sense of balance so I have to brace myself when using them. Note to self: when travelling in certain places always have moist wipes available for cleaning hands and sometimes shoes. On the other hand, I was at a race event here in the USA and needed to use the portaloo. And yep, some squeamish female or drink-taken male had peed on the seat and I couldn’t see that in the dark. I had to spend the next two days with someone else’s pee on my butt because there were no showers available. The first truck stop we saw on our way back had us all taking long showers. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/46 "2015-01-22T04:04:08Z")
Remind me never to go to Turkey or anywhere else they have these things. It looks like one is required to do “deep knee bends” to get your butt in close enough proximity to the target area to keep from making an awful mess. Now I ask you, how many 85 years olds are capable of doing deep knee bends and getting back up again without a crane or a skyhook? Darn few, I betcha. As far as I’m concerned, a regular toilet is getting too damn close to the floor. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/47 "2015-01-22T05:08:04Z")
I concur with those saying I’m not even going to try using something like that. I’d call that toilet “I’m crapping in the handbasin until you put in a real toilet” ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/48 "2015-01-22T05:38:23Z")
Shitter? ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/49 "2015-01-22T07:53:12Z")
Yea, pretty gross. What about toilet paper? Just drop it on top for that giftwrapped look? ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/50 "2015-01-22T17:01:45Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > it’s a 'loose your stuff from your back pocket" toilet. I don’t know about you guys but upon encountering one of those at a cafe in Lucca, Italy my husband called it a “Come on - we’re going back to those porta-potties.” ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/51 "2015-01-22T17:10:34Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > First, you’ll want to adopt the right squat. A lot of newbies think of a close-kneed, tensed, tip-toed squat, and that isn’t going to work. The squat you need is wide, low, and flat-footed. There are tutorials on the internet, but basically you stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and your feet pointed slightly outwards. Now drop straight down, keeping your knees apart. Your butt should end up about even with your ankles, and your pants will be well out of the line of fire. > > If you lived someplace with squat toilets, performing this action several times a day would keep those particular muscles strong and limber. But if you are unable to do it for whatever reason, aftermarket seats can be purchased or constructed. You just described how to teach someone twerking, until you got to the pooping part. Same stance is required. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/52 "2015-01-22T17:18:38Z")
> [@vomit\_comet](#): > > I wonder if you can get customized ones with faces of, say, not so popular presidents painted on them… Probably apocryphal but my dad claimed that Irish nationalists used to sell chamber pots with pictures of the king painted inside them. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/53 "2015-01-22T17:35:20Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I thought a Squatty Potty was a little bench thing that you put in front of your conventional toilet to put your feet up on, to put you in a similar “squatting” position that’s supposed to be more natural/better for you/easier to do your business. I saw an article about them a while back. Yes, a friend who is following the Paleo thing has one in her bathroom – first time I had heard of such a thing. DO humans have open their pelvis to truly evacuate everything? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/54 "2015-01-22T17:39:13Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Yes, a friend who is following the Paleo thing has one in her bathroom – first time I had heard of such a thing. > > DO humans have open their pelvis to truly evacuate everything? Recall reading somewhere that in countries where squat toilets are popular that appendicitis is less common. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/55 "2015-01-23T11:23:58Z")
Squatty potty or humiliation hole. Some tips: 1. Try to find a ‘western’ toilet. 2. Try harder. 3. If all else fails, take in plenty of TP. 4. Don’t be afraid to use the wall for balance - washing your hand is much easier than your back. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/56 "2015-01-23T13:48:51Z")
Gosh, I’m surprised at all the drama some people are making about them. Unless you are really old or infirm, it isn’t that hard once you get used to it. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/57 "2015-01-23T13:51:14Z")
> [@rock\_party](#): > > Yea, pretty gross. > > What about toilet paper? Just drop it on top for that giftwrapped look? Depending on where you are, you may not use toilet paper at all, with water being the preferred cleaning mehtod in some areas. You may have a small pitcher of water to clean with. But yeah, you just drop your toilet paper in and flush it. I’m not sure how that is different than how you do it with a Western toilet. If anything, you are further away from all of the grossness, as you’d usually be standing when you flush it. I do think squat toilets usually require less toilet paper, as the stance makes for a cleaner exit. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/58 "2015-01-23T13:58:42Z")
Oh, and in many areas toilet paper doesn’t go in the toilet at all- you’ll have a small wastebasket (ideally sealed) to chuck it in. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285/59 "2015-01-24T02:27:58Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Recall reading somewhere that in countries where squat toilets are popular that appendicitis is less common. I’ve heard various dubious health benefits attributed to squat toilets, but that’s a new one on me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-call-this-style-of-toilet-in-english/710285.md?page=2)