Soft words for hard things: the toilet and bodily functions
Tests: 4 of 13 right · Exam: 2 of 4 right · Kind: plain · Understood: 6 of 17 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72
Lesson 6 of the euphemisms course of Mova's primary school, as Mova's small model took its tests: it had read this lesson and the ones before it and learned from their exercises. Each test shows the options in the order the student saw them, its choice, the right answer, the score of every option and why it chose. The lesson itself, sentence by sentence with trees and pragmatics: the lesson in the corpora.
Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: the lesson's questions in the corpora.
Test 1 · wrong ✗
A sign at a highway stop reads "Restrooms open 24 hours". What can you do there?
- 1. Sleep for the night — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Take a shower and rest — no support
- 3. Rent a room — no support
- 4. Use the toilet — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 2 · wrong ✗
Jake texts "brb gotta answer the call of nature lol". What is Jake doing?
- 1. Going camping — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Calling his mum back — no support
- 3. Going to the toilet — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Watching a nature show — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 3 · right ✓
At the wedding, Auntie May says "I'll just go and powder my nose, darling." Where is Auntie May going?
- 1. Outside for fresh air — no support
- 2. To the toilet — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
- 3. To the make-up artist — no support
- 4. To the dance floor — no support
Why: It took the question to ask where. It chose option 2 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 6, line 15: «"Powder my nose" is an old-fashioned way, used by women, to say go to the toilet.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same place «toilet» (+2); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 4 · right ✓
"oi where's the dunny mate, I'm bustin" — what does this Australian need?
- 1. The toilet — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. A bus stop — no support
- 3. A bandage — no support
- 4. A cold drink — no support
Why: Nothing it remembers matched the question, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 5 · wrong ✗
A teacher's note home: "Toby needs to ask before going to the bathroom." What is Toby asking for?
- 1. Permission to take a bath — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Permission to wash paint off — no support
- 3. Permission to go to the toilet — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Permission to see the nurse — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 6 · right ✓
Gran, in an old story: "Stop the car, I need to spend a penny." What does Gran want?
- 1. To give money to a beggar — no support
- 2. To buy something at a shop — no support
- 3. To pay for petrol — no support
- 4. To use a toilet — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 9
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score 9, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 6, line 11: «"Spend a penny" is an old British way to say use the toilet; public toilets once cost a penny.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «use» (+4); it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same thing acted on «toilet» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 7 · wrong ✗
Mid-meeting the boss mutters "Back in five, gotta see a man about a dog." Is anyone getting a dog?
- 1. Yes, he is buying a puppy — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. No, he is phoning the vet — no support
- 3. No, he is going to the toilet — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Yes, a dog is coming to the office — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 8 · wrong ✗
Little Ava on a car trip: "Mummy, is it a number one or a number two?" — "Just a one, sweetie." What does Ava need?
- 1. A poo — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. To be sick — no support
- 3. A wee — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. A snack — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 9 · wrong ✗
Someone giggles in class and says "Who broke wind?!" What happened?
- 1. Somebody broke a window — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Somebody broke a kite — no support
- 3. Somebody farted — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. A storm blew the door open — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 10 · wrong ✗
Brother yells "get off the bloody throne, I've been waiting ages!" What does he want?
- 1. To be king in the game — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. His turn on the toilet — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. His gaming chair back — no support
- 4. His seat on the sofa — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 11 · wrong ✗
A hotel email says "Feel free to freshen up in the lobby facilities before check-in." What is offered?
- 1. Free fruit juice — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. A place to leave bags — no support
- 3. A swimming pool — no support
- 4. Toilets to use and wash in — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 12 · wrong ✗
A Brit at a party: "Sorry, where's your loo?" What is the guest looking for?
- 1. The garden — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. The toilet — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. The coats — no support
- 4. The kitchen — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 13 · right ✓
Mia reckons "the john" means the boss in American offices. Is she right?
- 1. No, it is slang for the toilet — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
- 2. Yes, it means the boss — no support
- 3. Yes, it means a man's office — no support
- 4. No, it means the lift — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 8, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 6, line 20: «"The john" is American slang for the toilet.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «american slang» (+4); the same circumstance (+4); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 1 · formal language · right ✓
Identify the meaning most accurately conveyed by the expression "to spend a penny" in traditional British usage.
- 1. To deposit a coin in a savings account — no support
- 2. To make a purchase of negligible value — no support
- 3. To make use of a toilet — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 4. To donate a small sum to charity — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 6, line 11: «"Spend a penny" is an old British way to say use the toilet; public toilets once cost a penny.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «use» (+2); the same thing acted on «toilet» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗
It is given that a notice in a United States park directs visitors to a "comfort station". Ascertain the nature of the facility so designated.
- 1. A shelter against inclement weather — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. A rest area furnished with seating — no support
- 3. A public lavatory — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. A station providing first aid — no support
Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗
Select the response consistent with the established meaning of the phrase "to answer the call of nature".
- 1. To respond to a telephone call outdoors — ← Mova's choice · score 8
- 2. To undertake a walk in the countryside — no support
- 3. To proceed to a toilet — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. To observe wildlife in its habitat — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 8, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 6, line 12: «"Answer the call of nature" is a joking way to say go to the toilet.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «answer» (+4); the same circumstance (+4). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 4 · formal language · right ✓
Whereas a hostess informs her guests that "the powder room is adjacent to the hall", determine what the guests may find there.
- 1. A cloakroom for outer garments — no support
- 2. A room reserved for cosmetics — no support
- 3. A small toilet for visitors — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
- 4. A storeroom for household powders — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 6, line 8: «"Powder room" means a small toilet for guests in a house, mostly in the US.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «small toilet» (+4); the same property (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/euphemisms/6-toilet-words/