On 07/02/2024 18:32, lar3ryca wrote:
> On 2024-02-07 02:01, occam wrote:
>> On 06/02/2024 22:11, lar3ryca wrote:
>>> On 2024-02-06 06:06, Adam Funk wrote:
>>>> On 2024-02-05, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I suppose somebody somewhere has used a rooster and a cat.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You mean 'cock' and 'pussy'.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Chatte" would be OK in French, but not "coq".
>>>>>
>>>>> They wouldn't perhaps get the penis meaning, but surely the male one?
>>>>
>>>> I think "le chat" & "la chatte" both work, but maybe the
>>>> (grammatically) feminine one is more common now. The penis words are
>>>> mostly feminine: la bitte, la queue, la verge.
>>>>
>>>> So I don't think "male chicken" would get the meaning across except as
>>>> Frenglish.
>>>
>>> See this page for a LOT of interesting ones:
>>>
>>> https://spotlightstories.co/65-amusing-bathroom-signs/?
>>>
>>> Rooster and cat are #11.
>>>
>>> My favourites: 39, 43, 57
>>>
>>
>> That URL is the most comprehensive listing of toilet signs I have come
>> across. Thank you.
>>
>> I would diss all those signs that rely on the English language. (Your
>> Chicks/chick magnates (#39) falls in this category.) If language was not
>> an issue, I'd chose (#9)  Bla v. (bla, bla, bla...)
>
> That's 'chick magnets'.

Typo, yes.

ObAUE: magnates are also magnets, when it comes to chicks (according to
common adage).

On 07/02/2024 16:49, Tony Cooper wrote:

>
> When I was growing up, it was not uncommon to see a prophylactic
> dispenser in a public men's room. In the men's toilet of a bar,
> particularly.
>
> In light of the above comment about tampon dispensers, I wonder now if
> they were also present in the women's bathrooms.

Why not? Some women feel the need to have a condom on them.

On Tue, 6 Feb 2024, at 13:48:52, Athel Cornish-Bowden posted:
>On 2024-02-06 09:33:52 +0000, Peter Moylan said:
>
>> On 06/02/24 19:24, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
>>> Paul Carmichael wrote:
>>>
>>>>>> True. I'm looking forward to the day where there's only one
>>>>>> kind of toilet rooms.
>>>>> That's rarely an issue for men. Women, however, often object to
>>>>> unisex bathrooms. With cause.
>>>> France has had unisex toilet facilities forever. Nobody cares.
>>> Is there often pee on the floor?
>>> In the bridge club in my previous town there were two gendered
>>> toilets. At the one for men it took maybe only an hour beforere there
>>> was pee on the floor. It didn't help that there was a humourous
>>> poster recommendingthe proper behaviour. One line said:
>>> Please stand a little closer. It is not as long as you think.
>> A similar sign that I've seen says "Our aim is to keep this place
>>clean.
>> Your aim will help."
>> The best solution for this problem that I've encountered is at
>>Schiphol
>> airport. Each urinal has a picture of a fly on it. This has, I'm told,
>> improved everyone's aim enormously.
>
>Yes. I've seen those in various places. I think they're German in
>origin. It's a very realistic-looking fly.

The ones I recall show bees. Latin for bee? apis.

--
Paul W

Paul Wolff <bounceme@thiswontwork.wolff.co.uk> wrote:

> On Tue, 6 Feb 2024, at 13:48:52, Athel Cornish-Bowden posted:
> >On 2024-02-06 09:33:52 +0000, Peter Moylan said:
> >
> >> On 06/02/24 19:24, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
> >>> Paul Carmichael wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>>> True. I'm looking forward to the day where there's only one
> >>>>>> kind of toilet rooms.
> >>>>> That's rarely an issue for men. Women, however, often object to
> >>>>> unisex bathrooms. With cause.
> >>>> France has had unisex toilet facilities forever. Nobody cares.
> >>> Is there often pee on the floor?
> >>> In the bridge club in my previous town there were two gendered
> >>> toilets. At the one for men it took maybe only an hour beforere there
> >>> was pee on the floor. It didn't help that there was a humourous
> >>> poster recommendingthe proper behaviour. One line said:
> >>> Please stand a little closer. It is not as long as you think.
> >> A similar sign that I've seen says "Our aim is to keep this place
> >>clean.
> >> Your aim will help."
> >> The best solution for this problem that I've encountered is at
> >>Schiphol
> >> airport. Each urinal has a picture of a fly on it. This has, I'm told,
> >> improved everyone's aim enormously.
> >
> >Yes. I've seen those in various places. I think they're German in
> >origin. It's a very realistic-looking fly.
>
> The ones I recall show bees. Latin for bee? apis.

Nope, it really is a fly.
There is a long story about it.

Someone responsible for maintenance invented the fly.
Then some economist decided that something like that
should be called 'a nudge', and wrote lots and lots about it.

He was given the 'Nobel prize' in economics for it.

So much for 'economics' as a science,

Jan

On 09/02/2024 00:30, Paul Wolff wrote:
> On Tue, 6 Feb 2024, at 13:48:52, Athel Cornish-Bowden posted:
>> On 2024-02-06 09:33:52 +0000, Peter Moylan said:

<snip>

>>>  The best solution for this problem that I've encountered is at Schiphol
>>> airport. Each urinal has a picture of a fly on it. This has, I'm told,
>>> improved everyone's aim enormously.
>>
>> Yes. I've seen those in various places. I think they're German in
>> origin. It's a very realistic-looking fly.
>
> The ones I recall show bees. Latin for bee? apis.
>

By that token, should the Schiphol urinal be called apiarium?

occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:

> On 09/02/2024 00:30, Paul Wolff wrote:
> > On Tue, 6 Feb 2024, at 13:48:52, Athel Cornish-Bowden posted:
> >> On 2024-02-06 09:33:52 +0000, Peter Moylan said:
>
> <snip>
>
>
> >>> The best solution for this problem that I've encountered is at Schiphol
> >>> airport. Each urinal has a picture of a fly on it. This has, I'm told,
> >>> improved everyone's aim enormously.
> >>
> >> Yes. I've seen those in various places. I think they're German in
> >> origin. It's a very realistic-looking fly.
> >
> > The ones I recall show bees. Latin for bee? apis.
> >
>
> By that token, should the Schiphol urinal be called apiarium?

Have they beed upgraded, at Schiphol?

Jan

On 06/02/2024 22:01, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
> Peter Moylan wrote:
>
>> The best solution for this problem that I've encountered is at Schiphol
>> airport. Each urinal has a picture of a fly on it. This has, I'm told,
>> improved everyone's aim enormously.
>
> I've read the same.
>

I'll see your 'read it' and raise you a 'I've pissed on it'.

On 07/02/2024 23:21, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
> J. J. Lodder wrote:
>
>> These sites all want to dump a no doubt nasty load of cookies,
>> so no, thanks,
>
> I'm surprised that you have a problem with cookies. I set my policy
> decades ago, and it works well: My browser deletes all cookie data when
> I close it. So I always accept all cookies.
>

Do I take it you do not play WORDLE regularly. Some web sites keep your
'status' (progress, etc) as a cookie.

Deleting your cookies on exit means you have to re-introduce yourself
every time you visit the site. Imagine having to do that to your
favourite bartender, or worse, to your banker.

On 2024-02-10 17:11:07 +0000, occam said:

> On 06/02/2024 22:01, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
>> Peter Moylan wrote:
>>
>>> The best solution for this problem that I've encountered is at Schiphol
>>> airport. Each urinal has a picture of a fly on it. This has, I'm told,
>>> improved everyone's aim enormously.
>>
>> I've read the same.
>>
>
> I'll see your 'read it' and raise you a 'I've pissed on it'.

Me too.

--
Athel -- French and British, living in Marseilles for 36 years; mainly
in England until 1987.

occam wrote:

> Do I take it you do not play WORDLE regularly.

I do.

> Some web sites keep your 'status' (progress, etc) as a cookie.

I am aware of it. I can live without the statistics.

> Deleting your cookies on exit means you have to re-introduce yourself
> every time you visit the site.

No. I tried to set nytimes.com as an exception so its cookies wouldn't
be deleted. It made no difference. So I removed the exception again.

> Imagine having to do that to your
> favourite bartender, or worse, to your banker.

Why would I do that?

--
Bertel, Denmark

On Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 2:35:53 PM UTC-7, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
> occam wrote:
>
> > Do I take it you do not play WORDLE regularly.

> I do.
....

I do too, and I'd like to say I got today's word with one guess to spare.

--
Jerry Friedman

On 11/02/24 05:05, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> On 2024-02-10 17:11:07 +0000, occam said:
>
>> On 06/02/2024 22:01, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
>>> Peter Moylan wrote:
>>>
>>>> The best solution for this problem that I've encountered is at
>>>> Schiphol airport. Each urinal has a picture of a fly on it.
>>>> This has, I'm told, improved everyone's aim enormously.
>>>
>>> I've read the same.
>>
>> I'll see your 'read it' and raise you a 'I've pissed on it'.
>
> Me too.

Same here.

Somebody, elsewhere in this thread, suggested that urinals somewhere
else are using a picture of a bee. I don't think that would work. A fly
on the urinal arouses a basic instinct to attack. Bees aren't our
enemies in the same way.

Slight drift: I was recently told that I would need to hand-pollinate
the passion fruit vines on my fence. There are no bees left in this area.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

On 2024-02-10 15:39, Jerry Friedman wrote:
> On Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 2:35:53 PM UTC-7, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
>> occam wrote:
>>
>>> Do I take it you do not play WORDLE regularly.
>
>> I do.
> ...
>
> I do too, and I'd like to say I got today's word with one guess to spare.

Was that the NY Times one, or were you playing one that resulted in 'junto'?

My wife also got it in 5 guesses. I got it in 4.

--
At first I was confused about why they wanted me to carry a geiger
counter, but then it clicked.

Peter Moylan wrote:

> Somebody, elsewhere in this thread, suggested that urinals somewhere
> else are using a picture of a bee. I don't think that would work. A fly
> on the urinal arouses a basic instinct to attack. Bees aren't our
> enemies in the same way.

Besides it might not be a clever move to piss a bee off.

--
Bertel, Denmark

On 10/02/2024 23:47, Peter Moylan wrote:
> Slight drift: I was recently told that I would need to hand-pollinate
> the passion fruit vines on my fence.

Ooh! That sounds almost like a sexual euphemism. "Hand-pollinating a
passion fruit vine" would require very nimble fingers and delicate hand
work. Doing it on the fence would be even trickier.

On Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 8:54:35 PM UTC-7, lar3ryca wrote:
> On 2024-02-10 15:39, Jerry Friedman wrote:
> > On Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 2:35:53 PM UTC-7, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
> >> occam wrote:
> >>
> >>> Do I take it you do not play WORDLE regularly.
> >
> >> I do.
> > ...
> >
> > I do too, and I'd like to say I got today's word with one guess to spare.

> Was that the NY Times one, or were you playing one that resulted in 'junto'?

The NY Times one.
> My wife also got it in 5 guesses. I got it in 4.

I mentioned it because the solution was part of my name.

--
Jerry Friedman

On 11/02/24 23:46, occam wrote:
> On 10/02/2024 23:47, Peter Moylan wrote:

>> Slight drift: I was recently told that I would need to hand-pollinate
>> the passion fruit vines on my fence.
>
> Ooh! That sounds almost like a sexual euphemism. "Hand-pollinating a
> passion fruit vine" would require very nimble fingers and delicate hand
> work. Doing it on the fence would be even trickier.

Cats do it on the fence.

ObSF: The Pollinators of Eden.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

On 11-Feb-24 7:37, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
> Peter Moylan wrote:
>
>> Somebody, elsewhere in this thread, suggested that urinals somewhere
>> else are using a picture of a bee. I don't think that would work. A fly
>> on the urinal arouses a basic instinct to attack. Bees aren't our
>> enemies in the same way.
>
> Besides it might not be a clever move to piss a bee off.
>
Americans might employ a pissant in this role.

--
Sam Plusnet

On 12/02/24 12:28, Sam Plusnet wrote:
> On 11-Feb-24 7:37, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
>> Peter Moylan wrote:
>>
>>> Somebody, elsewhere in this thread, suggested that urinals somewhere
>>> else are using a picture of a bee. I don't think that would work. A fly
>>> on the urinal arouses a basic instinct to attack. Bees aren't our
>>> enemies in the same way.
>>
>> Besides it might not be a clever move to piss a bee off.
>>
> Americans might employ a pissant in this role.

An interesting word. When I first met it, I thought it was a French
present participle.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

On 11/02/2024 16:41, Jerry Friedman wrote:
> On Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 8:54:35 PM UTC-7, lar3ryca wrote:
>> On 2024-02-10 15:39, Jerry Friedman wrote:
>>> On Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 2:35:53 PM UTC-7, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
>>>> occam wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Do I take it you do not play WORDLE regularly.
>>>
>>>> I do.
>>> ...
>>>
>>> I do too, and I'd like to say I got today's word with one guess to spare.
>
>> Was that the NY Times one, or were you playing one that resulted in 'junto'?
>
> The NY Times one.
>
>> My wife also got it in 5 guesses. I got it in 4.
>
> I mentioned it because the solution was part of my name.
>

I got it in 4 guesses, and the solution was part of my breakfast.

Peter Moylan wrote:

>>>> on the urinal arouses a basic instinct to attack. Bees aren't our
>>>> enemies in the same way.
>>>
>>> Besides it might not be a clever move to piss a bee off.
>>>
>> Americans might employ a pissant in this role.
>
> An interesting word. When I first met it, I thought it was a French
> present participle.

My mother told me about a classmate that took an exam in French. He was
not doing too well, and at some point the censor said with some surprise
"Oh, I see". In Danish that would be "Ser vi det". The pupil then
promtly said:

servider, servidant, servidé

--
Bertel, Denmark

Bertel Lund Hansen:
> My mother told me about a classmate that took an exam in French. He was
> not doing too well, and at some point the censor said with some surprise
> "Oh, I see". In Danish that would be "Ser vi det". The pupil then
> promtly said:
>
> servider, servidant, servidé

Most of us don't have our exams administered by a censor!
--
Mark Brader | "We may take pride in observing that there is
Toronto | not a single film showing in London today which
msb@vex.net | deals with one of the burning issues of the day."
| -- Lord Tyrell, British film censors' chief, 1937

Mark Brader wrote:

>> My mother told me about a classmate that took an exam in French. He was
>> not doing too well, and at some point the censor said with some surprise
>> "Oh, I see". In Danish that would be "Ser vi det". The pupil then
>> promtly said:
>>
>> servider, servidant, servidé
>
> Most of us don't have our exams administered by a censor!

In Denmark there's the teacher and a censor present. In this case the
censor made the remark. A censor need not be silent during the
examination.

PS. A censor is either a collegue from the same school or a neighbouring
one (within the community), or it's a specially appointed censor that
travels to several different schools. This way they get a broader view
on how well teaching is done and in which different ways it can be done.

--
Bertel, Denmark

On 13/02/24 10:45, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
> Mark Brader wrote:
>
>>> My mother told me about a classmate that took an exam in French.
>>> He was not doing too well, and at some point the censor said
>>> with some surprise "Oh, I see". In Danish that would be "Ser vi
>>> det". The pupil then promtly said:
>>>
>>> servider, servidant, servidé
>>
>> Most of us don't have our exams administered by a censor!
>
> In Denmark there's the teacher and a censor present. In this case the
> censor made the remark. A censor need not be silent during the
> examination.
>
> PS. A censor is either a collegue from the same school or a
> neighbouring one (within the community), or it's a specially
> appointed censor that travels to several different schools. This way
> they get a broader view on how well teaching is done and in which
> different ways it can be done.

In English a censor is a person who controls what we are allowed to read
or see. For example, it is a censor who puts an "Adults only" label on a
movie. In wartime, censors read mail to or from military positions, and
black out the sentences that could give information to the enemy.
Censorship is particularly strong in counties with repressive governments.

There is a different English word for the thing you are describing, but
for now I'm having a mental block and can't remember the word.
"Invigilator" is an approximate equivalent.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

On 2024-02-12 21:29, Peter Moylan wrote:
> On 13/02/24 10:45, Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:
>> Mark Brader wrote:
>>
>>>> My mother told me about a classmate that took an exam in French.
>>>> He was not doing too well, and at some point the censor said
>>>> with some surprise "Oh, I see". In Danish that would be "Ser vi
>>>> det". The pupil then promtly said:
>>>>
>>>> servider, servidant, servidé
>>>
>>> Most of us don't have our exams administered by a censor!
>>
>> In Denmark there's the teacher and a censor present. In this case the
>> censor made the remark. A censor need not be silent during the
>> examination.
>>
>> PS. A censor is either a collegue from the same school or a
>> neighbouring one (within the community), or it's a specially
>> appointed censor that travels to several different schools. This way
>> they get a broader view on how well teaching is done and in which
>> different ways it can be done.
>
> In English a censor is a person who controls what we are allowed to read
> or see. For example, it is a censor who puts an "Adults only" label on a
> movie. In wartime, censors read mail to or from military positions, and
> black out the sentences that could give information to the enemy.
> Censorship is particularly strong in counties with repressive governments.
>
> There is a different English word for the thing you are describing, but
> for now I'm having a mental block and can't remember the word.
> "Invigilator" is an approximate equivalent.

proctor
noun: (Canada, US) A person who supervises students as they take an
examination, in the United States at the college/university level; often
the department secretary, or a fellow/graduate student; an invigilator.

--
Some people are like a Slinky toy - not really good for anything, but
you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.