Throne

[Dan Goncharoff]

Which of these cites is not colloquial and facetious?
DanG


On Sun, Dec 11, 2011 at 10:09 PM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Throne
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Here are some citations demonstrating that "throne" for "toilet" is
> neither strictly colloquial nor facetious:
>
> 1. "Stroke with no Insurance" by Kevin, 14 Jan 2008 (
> http://guaranteedhealthcare.org/your_story/stroke-no-insurance)
>
> -----
> I went in the bathroom and sat down on the throne. Very quickly I realized
> what was happening, I could feel paralysis setting into my arm and leg. A
> constant stream of drool was comming from one side of my mouth, and I
> realized my face was paralyzed also . I realized I was having a stroke.
>
> I got myself off the throne with some trouble and went into the kitchen
> and put my coffee mug in the microwave.
> -----
>
> 2. "Lover Boys" by John Patrick, STARbooks Press, 2006, p. 155 (
> http://ow.ly/7VZPy)
>
> -----
> It just happened one time. Johnny went to the bathroom and I followed him.
> He sat down on the throne and I looked at his jewels: fat uncut dick and
> plump balls.
> -----
>
> 3. "On the Can Pretending I'm Jim" by Early Rahmer, 10 Sept 2010 (
> http://voices.yahoo.com/on-pretending-im-jim-6706888.html)
>
> -----
> Simultaneously, the other man walked in and made a beeline to the other
> stall. He flushed the toilet then sat down on the throne and the two of us
> got down to business (I'll spare you the odorous particulars).
> -----
>
> 4-8: Comments found on the Home Depot site:
>
> 4. August 25, 2011 by diydi, http://ow.ly/7kJH9
>
> -----
> this is perfect for the men in my life, easy to install and works like a
> charm. my husband especially likes the slow close on this one. the perfect
> seat for the throne in my house.
> -----
>
> 5. August 21, 2011 by sbains, http://ow.ly/7kJJ7
>
> -----
> The only complaint is the weight of this beast, it took a lot of strength
> to haul it, so I took it upstairs in pieces. But once installed, it is
> solid throne!
> -----
>
> 6. April 3, 2010 by phonejones, http://ow.ly/7kJKy
>
> -----
> Bought two to replace the throne in both bathrooms. A little heavy which
> makes it hard to install without help. I would have it installed by a pro
> if I ever do it again.
> The toilets are the fastest flushing I have ever see. The one peice makes
> it easy to clean especially with the new lids which detach with a flip of a
> tab.
> -----
>
> 7. January 24, 2011 by dtb136, http://ow.ly/7kJMH
>
> -----
> Having a heated toilet seat is great. My only complaint (and it's minor)
> is that even on the low setting it might be a little too hot and that's
> only if you linger on the throne. Otherwise it's great. My kids and wife
> battle for it.
> -----
>
> 8. February 28, 2007 by JayDee, http://ow.ly/7kJO4
>
> -----
> The Wellworth is a good quality, easy-to-install throne, in my experience.
> -----
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA
>
> On Nov 5, 2011, at 6:59 PM, Ron Butters wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > nah, these are facetious usages. You will not find Home Depot
> advertising thrones for sale.
> >
> > Sent from my Droid Charge on Verizon 4GLTE
> >
> > ------Original Message------
> > From: Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> >
> > When looking at the histories of words, I sometimes wonder how a word
> could have gained certain connotations and changed. An excellent point of
> reference is "throne," which is a bizarre contemporary example.
> >
> > The AHD labels the meaning of "toilet" for "throne" as facetious. The
> OED labels it as figurative and colloquial. The two most recent OED
> quotations have the word in quotes. Wiktionary labels it as colloquial.
> >
> > I think it's time to accept the fact that "throne" is here to stay and
> toss the labels. Here are two more citations. Both articles include the
> word "toilet" to prime the reader but it is only a matter of time.
> >
> > 1.
> http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2016531611_realbathrooms16.html
> >
> > "Bells and whistles descend upon the throne" by Sam Brobart, October 21,
> 2011, from the New York Times.
> >
> > -----
> > The Numi costs $6,400 or 81 times the price of the basic throne at Home
> Depot.
> > -----
> >
> > 2. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1882569,00.html
> >
> > "Edible Excretions: Taiwan's Toilet Restaurant" by Natalie Tso, March 2,
> 2009.
> >
> > -----
> > Toilet creations aren't new to China. The ancient Chinese may have been
> the first to use the throne — a flush toilet was found in a tomb of a
> Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to A.D. 24) king — and they invented toilet
> paper in the 6th century.
> > -----
>
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