Not everyone knows what you mean........
My friend is a rather old fashioned lady, always quite delicate and elegant, especially in her language. She and her husband were planning a weeks vacation in Florida, so she wrote to a particular campground and asked for a reservation.
She wanted to make sure the campground was fully equipped, but didn't quite know how to ask about the toilet facilities. She just couldn't bring herself to write the word "toilet" in her letter. After much deliberation, she finally came up with the old fashioned term "bathroom commode".
But when she wrote that down, she still thought it sounded too forward. So she started over again, and rewrote the entire letter, and referred to the bathroom commode merely as B.C. "Does the campground have it's own B.C.?" is what she wrote.
Well the campground owner wasn't old fashioned at all and when he got the letter he just couldn't figure out what the lady was talking about. That B.C. business really stumped him.
After worrying about it for a while, he showed the letter to several campers, but they didn't know either. So the campground owner, finally coming to the conclusion that the lady was asking about the local Baptist Church, sat down and wrote the following reply....
Dear Madam, I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I now take pleasure in informing you that a B.C. is located nine miles north of the campground and is capable of seating 250 people at one time. I admit that it is quite a distance away if you're in the habit of going regularly, but no doubt you will be pleased to know that a great number of people take their lunches along and make a day of it. They usually arrive early and stay late.
The first time my wife and I went, it was six years ago, and it was so crowded we had to stand up the whole time we were there. It may interest you to know on Friday night there is a supper planned to raise money to buy more seats. They're holding the supper in the basement of the B.C.
I would like to say that it pains me very much not to able to go more regularly, but it is surely no lack of desire on my part. As we grow older, it seems more of an effort, particularly in cold weather.
If you decide to come down to our campground, perhaps I could go with you the first time, to sit with you, and introduce you to all the other folks. Remember, this is a friendly community......