Soft words for hard things: the toilet and bodily functions and age and looks
Tests: 4 of 13 right · Exam: 1 of 4 right · Kind: plain · Understood: 2 of 17 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72
Lesson 8 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 Scottish station: "Gents ← and Ladies →". What is the sign for?
- 1. Two shops — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Two train platforms — no support
- 3. The men's and women's waiting rooms — no support
- 4. The men's and women's toilets — ✓ 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 ✗
"where's the head on this boat, I'm desperate" — what is the passenger looking for?
- 1. The captain — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. The bow — no support
- 3. The toilet — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. The life jackets — 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 · wrong ✗
A medical leaflet: "Fibre helps regular bowel movements." What does fibre help?
- 1. Breathing better — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Sleeping well — no support
- 3. Moving your legs — no support
- 4. Pooing regularly — ✓ 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 4 · wrong ✗
Brother: "stop the car, I gotta take a leak!" Mum: "Five more minutes." What does he need?
- 1. To be sick — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. To urinate — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. To check a flat tyre — no support
- 4. To fix a leaking bottle — 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 5 · right ✓
An old cottage advert: "Charming garden with original privy." What is in the garden?
- 1. An old outdoor toilet — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. A private pond — no support
- 3. A hidden treasure — no support
- 4. A secret path — 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 6 · wrong ✗
Nan to the kids: "I'm getting on, I can't climb that." Why can't Nan climb?
- 1. Because she is busy — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Because she is getting on a bus — no support
- 3. Because it is wet — no support
- 4. Because she is old — ✓ 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 7 · wrong ✗
TV host: "Tonight, a pop star who's — let's be honest — no spring chicken." What is the host saying?
- 1. The pop star is not famous — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. The pop star is not young — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. The pop star cannot dance — no support
- 4. The pop star is a vegetarian — 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 ✗
Kid: "Dad's ancient, mate, proper over the hill." What does the kid mean?
- 1. Dad is very tall — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Dad is old — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Dad is far — no support
- 4. Dad has gone hiking — 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 · right ✓
A brochure: "Luxury cruises for the over-60s — your golden years deserve it!" Who is the cruise for?
- 1. Older, retired people — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Families with babies — no support
- 3. People who buy gold — no support
- 4. Young couples — 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 · right ✓
Jess reckons "long in the tooth" means someone has big teeth. Is she right?
- 1. No, it means old — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 2. No, hungry — no support
- 3. Yes, it means big teeth — no support
- 4. Yes, it means a sharp bite — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 8, line 17: «"Senior" in America often means an old person, as in "senior discount".», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «mean» (+4); the same property (+2). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 11 · wrong ✗
An agency sign: "Mature actors wanted." Whom do they want?
- 1. Very serious actors — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Well-behaved actors — no support
- 3. Older actors — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Star actors — 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 · right ✓
In a novel: "The old lady excused herself to the smallest room." Where did she go?
- 1. The toilet — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
- 2. The pantry — no support
- 3. A child's bedroom — no support
- 4. The garden shed — no support
Why: It took the question to ask where. It chose option 1 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 6, line 16: «"See a man about a dog" is a joking excuse to leave the room, usually to go to the toilet; there is no man and no dog.», reached through a sentence linked to the one 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 13 · wrong ✗
A council leaflet: "Free swimming for senior citizens on Mondays." Who swims free?
- 1. Teenagers — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Old people — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Council workers — no support
- 4. Lifeguards — 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
Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗
Identify the meaning most accurately conveyed by the nautical term "the head".
- 1. The highest point of a vessel's mast — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. The principal officer aboard a vessel — no support
- 3. The forward section of a vessel — no support
- 4. The toilet aboard a vessel — ✓ 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
Exam question 2 · formal language · right ✓
It is stated that a gentleman is "long in the tooth". Ascertain the characteristic thereby attributed to him.
- 1. Advanced age — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Large teeth — no support
- 3. An aggressive temperament — no support
- 4. Dental ill health — 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
Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗
Select the response consistent with the established meaning of the phrase "twilight years".
- 1. The years of greatest professional success — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. The final years of a person's life — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. The evening hours of each day — no support
- 4. The years of early childhood — 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 4 · formal language · wrong ✗
Whereas a notice prohibits persons from "relieving themselves" in a public place, determine the conduct thereby prohibited.
- 1. Removing items of clothing — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Resting upon public benches — no support
- 3. Consuming food and drink — no support
- 4. Urinating or defecating — ✓ 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
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/euphemisms/8-toilets-and-getting-older/