Reply to: Zeity, not a lot of people know this

[gingerjedi]

Interestingly, you know how women all go to the loo together when out, well Roman men did the same thing.

I thought that was the Greeks?

[threaded]

Yikes!!! I thought they were civilized!!

They were, in their own way. They would probably have looked at toilet paper as completely barbaric, what with the hazard of the occasional 'punch through'.

Interestingly, you know how women all go to the loo together when out, well Roman men did the same thing.

[Drewster]

They were quite well made things. Looked much like modern toilet brushes. So the rough end is indeed the business end.

Yikes!!! I thought they were civilized!!

[threaded]

Wouldn't both ends then be "sticky".........

As the phrase has at least 2 common usages (other than wrong end)......
a) Rough end of the stick
b) Tulipy end of the stick

Do they have opposite meanings......
If I was wiping my *rse with a stick I would certainly want to be holding the rough end (as opposed to using it to wipe)
conversely I wouldn't want to end up holding the tulipy end..... although wipig with the (already) tulipy end might be counter productive

They were quite well made things. Looked much like modern toilet brushes. So the rough end is indeed the business end.

[Drewster]

why didnt Archimedes or someone invent the 'double ended Spongia' for the morning after the night before

Wouldn't both ends then be "sticky".........

As the phrase has at least 2 common usages (other than wrong end)......
a) Rough end of the stick
b) Tulipy end of the stick

Do they have opposite meanings......
If I was wiping my *rse with a stick I would certainly want to be holding the rough end (as opposed to using it to wipe)
conversely I wouldn't want to end up holding the tulipy end..... although wipig with the (already) tulipy end might be counter productive

[EternalOptimist]

Why the heck didnt they use bog roll like everyone else ? I reckon they were a bit dopey these Romans

why didnt Archimedes or someone invent the 'double ended Spongia' for the morning after the night before

[threaded]

Yeah, I believed you about cars... it was things like "augury" (Lat. augere 2nd conj, to increase as in augment, therefore to prosper, so a fortune-teller would help you prosper.) and "few" (Lat. paucus minced through the German sound shift, small or few). Both from Greek but I forget that. Nothing to do with birds.

I grant you auspices and most of the others though.

An "Augur" was the priest in ancient Rome who watched the flight of the birds. IIRC avi + gero

As to few: go a little further back with paucus and you'll find it meant chicks in a nest.

[gingerjedi]

If you were a barbarian you would not understand the toilet etiquet in Rome, so would end up getting hold of the wrong end of the stick.

But they would be oblivious to their 'faux pas' and wouldn't know that they hadn't understood? Would they have been offered the clean end if they refused the tulipy end therefore showing they had grasped the concept?

[expat]

Blackhawk

Eagel

White Eagel

Tercel

Hayabyusa

Yeah, I believed you about cars... it was things like "augury" (Lat. augere 2nd conj, to increase as in augment, therefore to prosper, so a fortune-teller would help you prosper.) and "few" (Lat. paucus minced through the German sound shift, small or few). Both from Greek but I forget that. Nothing to do with birds.

I grant you auspices and most of the others though.

[threaded]

So how does that translate to misunderstanding something? Surely your explanation refers to getting a bum deal?

If I was too poor to afford a clean stick I wouldn’t be confused about the situation.

If you were a barbarian you would not understand the toilet etiquet in Rome, so would end up getting hold of the wrong end of the stick.

[gingerjedi]

Nope, threaded was right...as always...Official name of the implement was a spongia. Learnt this from my 7 year old who is learning about Roman times at school, so it must be true...

So how does that translate to misunderstanding something? Surely your explanation refers to getting a bum deal?

If I was too poor to afford a clean stick I wouldn’t be confused about the situation.

[Flubster]

That deserves a QI style siren, if it was to describe 'getting the tulipy end of a stick' then maybe.

I believe the most reasonable answer is a walking stick which is held upside-down which doesn't help in the way it was intended.

Nope, threaded was right...as always...Official name of the implement was a spongia. Learnt this from my 7 year old who is learning about Roman times at school, so it must be true...

[gingerjedi]

What was used in Roman times was a stick with a sponge on it that you would purchase as you entered the loo. Unless you were poor when you'd reuse someone elses. If you got it passed to you in an unfriendly way you'd get the tulipty end of the stick...

That deserves a QI style siren, if it was to describe 'getting the tulipy end of a stick' then maybe.

I believe the most reasonable answer is a walking stick which is held upside-down which doesn't help in the way it was intended.

[EternalOptimist]

Blackhawk

Eagel

White Eagel

Tercel

Hayabyusa

and dont forget the car that ties up ,buggery, birds and car names

I give you

Buggutia Veyron

[threaded]

The Falcon, the Falcon, the Falcon, the Falcon, and the Falcon?

Of course I believe it.

Blackhawk

Eagel

White Eagel

Tercel

Hayabyusa