Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
toilet water
English answer:
avoid, eau de toilette sounds better
Added to glossary by
Marek Daroszewski (MrMarDar)
Mar 5, 2008 11:28
16 yrs ago
3 viewers *
English term
toilet water
English
Art/Literary
Cosmetics, Beauty
Does 'toilet water' have 2 meanings in English?
http://www.yourdictionary.com/toilet-water says:
toilet water
a lightly scented liquid with a high alcohol content, applied to the skin after bathing, etc. or added to bath water
However, a large amount of google hits show that the phrase is actually used as water in / from the toilet bowl, e.g.:
70 percent of the time, ice from fast food restaurants was dirtier than toilet water. ...
abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=1641825&page=1
Now - would native English speakers smile on reading 'XXXX is a new toilet water targeted at female teenagers'? Eau de Cologne would do the trick, naturally. Does it sound right, or does it sound really strange... It does sound strange to me, but I'm not a native speaker, and (to my surprise) dictionaries actually seem to say that one can use it to refer to (more or less) 'perfume, tragrance, etc.'
What's your advice - use or avoid it?
http://www.yourdictionary.com/toilet-water says:
toilet water
a lightly scented liquid with a high alcohol content, applied to the skin after bathing, etc. or added to bath water
However, a large amount of google hits show that the phrase is actually used as water in / from the toilet bowl, e.g.:
70 percent of the time, ice from fast food restaurants was dirtier than toilet water. ...
abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=1641825&page=1
Now - would native English speakers smile on reading 'XXXX is a new toilet water targeted at female teenagers'? Eau de Cologne would do the trick, naturally. Does it sound right, or does it sound really strange... It does sound strange to me, but I'm not a native speaker, and (to my surprise) dictionaries actually seem to say that one can use it to refer to (more or less) 'perfume, tragrance, etc.'
What's your advice - use or avoid it?
Responses
Change log
Mar 10, 2008 07:52: Marek Daroszewski (MrMarDar) Created KOG entry
Responses
+10
4 mins
Selected
Eau de toilette
You'd be safer with this. This is what is sold in the UK shops. Also, "teenage girls" would sound better in my view.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Marie-Hélène Hayles
: and snap again! And definitely "teenage girls", not "female teenagers".
0 min
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Thanks Marie-Hélène Hayles!
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agree |
cmwilliams (X)
10 mins
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Thanks!
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agree |
Carmen Schultz
45 mins
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agree |
Jeanette Phillips
57 mins
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agree |
Will Matter
57 mins
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agree |
R. Alex Jenkins
1 hr
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agree |
Vicky Nash
2 hrs
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agree |
Cristina Santos
11 hrs
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agree |
V_Nedkov
2 days 4 hrs
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agree |
Alexandra Tussing
5 days
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "The time has come to close the question. I would like to thank everybody for their comments and input. This answer helped me most!"
+16
3 mins
eau de toilette
Personally, I would use "eau de toilette" and not "toilet water", no matter what the dictionary says!
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Marie-Hélène Hayles
: snap!
1 min
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Thanks! :-)
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agree |
Larissa Dinsley
: Sorry Nesrin, I did not see your answer when I was posting mine.
2 mins
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That's alright! Thanks! :-)
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agree |
PB Trans
4 mins
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agree |
cmwilliams (X)
10 mins
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agree |
hirselina
10 mins
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agree |
Louise Mawbey
: This has a more modern ring than "toilet water" - the latter makes me think of my grandma
34 mins
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agree |
Will Matter
57 mins
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agree |
Jeanette Phillips
: toilet water is old fashioned
58 mins
|
agree |
R. Alex Jenkins
1 hr
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agree |
Vicky Nash
2 hrs
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agree |
jerrie
3 hrs
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agree |
Cristina Santos
11 hrs
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agree |
Phong Le
: this makes me to recall my memory some 20years ago when I first read this on a small bottle...
18 hrs
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agree |
V_Nedkov
2 days 4 hrs
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agree |
Sonia Soros
2 days 21 hrs
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agree |
Alexandra Tussing
5 days
|
+7
4 mins
eau de toilette
It's a perfectly acceptable term, but if you want to avoid it you could go for eau de toilette (note that this is not the same as eau de cologne, it has a higher water content and a less concentrated scent).
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Note added at 8 mins (2008-03-05 11:36:59 GMT)
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actually, I appear to be wrong - eau de toilette is actually stronger than cologne, if this Wikipedia link is reliable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfume
In any case, the two are not synonyms.
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Note added at 8 mins (2008-03-05 11:36:59 GMT)
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actually, I appear to be wrong - eau de toilette is actually stronger than cologne, if this Wikipedia link is reliable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfume
In any case, the two are not synonyms.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Larissa Dinsley
: :)
1 min
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agree |
Nesrin
: Yes, I believe the hierarchy is perfume - eau de parfum - eau de t - eau de c (so in this particular instance, wikipedia is right)
13 mins
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agree |
Will Matter
56 mins
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agree |
R. Alex Jenkins
1 hr
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agree |
Cristina Santos
11 hrs
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agree |
V_Nedkov
2 days 4 hrs
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agree |
Alexandra Tussing
5 days
|
8 mins
toiletry products Are Shampoos and other products regarded as beauty products
toiletry products, Are Shampoos and other products regarded as beauty products,
Toilet water is exactly that, water from a toilet.
Yes it did make me smile
Toilet water is exactly that, water from a toilet.
Yes it did make me smile
Example sentence:
White Rain--Shampoo, conditioner and other hair care products are toiletry stuff. Skin care products are in the same boat.
+2
33 mins
toilet water
'toilet water' is just fine, the good old traditional term for it.
Of course, these days lots of companies use the FR term 'eau de toilette' for the extra marketing value that supposedly brings — but just as the FR so vociferously defend the proper use of a perfectly satisfactory FR term where one exists, I think we should defend the use of the EN term here.
Don't listen to the sniggerings of those whose humour has never got further than the schoolboy stage! ;-)
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Note added at 34 mins (2008-03-05 12:03:50 GMT)
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What's good enough for Yardley is good enough for me:
Yardley Lace Eau de Parfum Spray : Read reviews and compare prices ...
Yardley Lace Eau de Parfum Spray starting at £5.99 (11.02.08) at Ciao.co.uk. ... This perfume is available in the toilet water or the stronger Eau de parfum ...
www.ciao.co.uk/Yardley_Lace_Eau_de_Parfum_Spray__6781354
Of course, these days lots of companies use the FR term 'eau de toilette' for the extra marketing value that supposedly brings — but just as the FR so vociferously defend the proper use of a perfectly satisfactory FR term where one exists, I think we should defend the use of the EN term here.
Don't listen to the sniggerings of those whose humour has never got further than the schoolboy stage! ;-)
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Note added at 34 mins (2008-03-05 12:03:50 GMT)
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What's good enough for Yardley is good enough for me:
Yardley Lace Eau de Parfum Spray : Read reviews and compare prices ...
Yardley Lace Eau de Parfum Spray starting at £5.99 (11.02.08) at Ciao.co.uk. ... This perfume is available in the toilet water or the stronger Eau de parfum ...
www.ciao.co.uk/Yardley_Lace_Eau_de_Parfum_Spray__6781354
Peer comment(s):
agree |
David Moore (X)
: Tony, does this just show us up as oldies, or what? BTW, what happened to the "giggling schoolgirl stage"???//Are you kidding, or what?????
16 mins
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Thanks, David! I rather fear it does! I didn't think nice little schoolgirls would giggle about anything like that...
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agree |
Jack Doughty
: When we lived in Cologne, a man who cleared the contents of septic tanks put his phone number on the tankers, It was 4711, and the Eau de Cologne company took him to court to make him remove it.
18 mins
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Thanks, Jack! Wonderful anecdote!!
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neutral |
Larissa Dinsley
: Hi Tony! May be "good enough for you", but come on, face it: you are hardly a "female teenager"! (think target audience!) :) Of course, it was the Asker, in the last but one paragraph!
57 mins
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Well, it wasn't Asker who mentioned young teenagers, and until he has done so, I stand by my answer.
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+1
14 mins
eau de cologne/eau de toilette/bodyspritzer/body splash*/ body spray*[*depends on bottle type]
eau de cologne/eau de toilette/body splash*/ body spray* [*depends on bottle type]:
There are different ways to call this-- you may want to use the one suitable for a young female audience--a version that appeals to that segment
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Note added at 14 mins (2008-03-05 11:43:42 GMT)
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oops, 'body spritzer' should be two words
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Note added at 23 mins (2008-03-05 11:52:29 GMT)
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Forgot to mention "Body Mist" (another way this item is marketed)
Body Mist, Body Splash, Bath Splash, Body Spray and Perfume ...body mist, body splash, bath splash, body spray and perfume, shower spray, body fragrance spray, body deodorant spray.
www.herbal-gardens.net/bath-splash.htm - 18k - Cached - Similar pages
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Note added at 25 mins (2008-03-05 11:54:06 GMT)
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Mary Kay Deo Body Spritzer Lotus and Bamboo Lot of 2 - eBay (item ...eBay: Find Mary Kay Deo Body Spritzer Lotus and Bamboo Lot of 2 in the Health Beauty , Skin Care , Toners, Astringents , Mary Kay category on eBay.
cgi.ebay.com/Mary-Kay-Deo-Body-Spritzer-Lotus-and-Bamboo-Lot-of-2_W0QQitemZ300204127505QQihZ020QQcategory... - 121k - 23 hours ago - Cached - Similar pages
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Note added at 1 day21 hrs (2008-03-07 08:57:59 GMT)
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NOTE: another possibility is EAU FRAICHE
MORE INFO:
Eau de toilette has around 1-6% perfume concentrates. This makes for a light scent that doesn't linger as long as the more intense versions. It was originally intended to be a refreshing body splash to help people wake up in the morning.
Eau de cologne is sometimes used interchangeably with the term eau de toilette. However, the concoction began as the name of a light, fresh fragrance mixed with citrus oils and was made popular by Napoleon. Some perfumers today have a version of this called eau fraiche.
While these are the main classes of perfume, other products are frequently scented with perfume concentrates too. Lotions, creams, powders, body splashes, aftershaves, soaps, and other cosmetic products may contain variable (though usually small) amounts of fragrance.
There are different ways to call this-- you may want to use the one suitable for a young female audience--a version that appeals to that segment
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2008-03-05 11:43:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
oops, 'body spritzer' should be two words
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2008-03-05 11:52:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Forgot to mention "Body Mist" (another way this item is marketed)
Body Mist, Body Splash, Bath Splash, Body Spray and Perfume ...body mist, body splash, bath splash, body spray and perfume, shower spray, body fragrance spray, body deodorant spray.
www.herbal-gardens.net/bath-splash.htm - 18k - Cached - Similar pages
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2008-03-05 11:54:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Mary Kay Deo Body Spritzer Lotus and Bamboo Lot of 2 - eBay (item ...eBay: Find Mary Kay Deo Body Spritzer Lotus and Bamboo Lot of 2 in the Health Beauty , Skin Care , Toners, Astringents , Mary Kay category on eBay.
cgi.ebay.com/Mary-Kay-Deo-Body-Spritzer-Lotus-and-Bamboo-Lot-of-2_W0QQitemZ300204127505QQihZ020QQcategory... - 121k - 23 hours ago - Cached - Similar pages
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day21 hrs (2008-03-07 08:57:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
NOTE: another possibility is EAU FRAICHE
MORE INFO:
Eau de toilette has around 1-6% perfume concentrates. This makes for a light scent that doesn't linger as long as the more intense versions. It was originally intended to be a refreshing body splash to help people wake up in the morning.
Eau de cologne is sometimes used interchangeably with the term eau de toilette. However, the concoction began as the name of a light, fresh fragrance mixed with citrus oils and was made popular by Napoleon. Some perfumers today have a version of this called eau fraiche.
While these are the main classes of perfume, other products are frequently scented with perfume concentrates too. Lotions, creams, powders, body splashes, aftershaves, soaps, and other cosmetic products may contain variable (though usually small) amounts of fragrance.
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Nesrin
: I don't think the words are interchangeable though - as Marie Helene points out in her added note, eau de cologne and eau de toilette have different concentration levels.
6 mins
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I worked at a major cosmetics company in US & what you say isn't always true today as the terms are used rather loosely for marketing.Initially,European makers of scents established certain concentration levels but not all countries abide by this anymore
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agree |
Jeanette Phillips
: if the market is teenage girls, it may well be body spray or spritz as you suggest. Eau de toilette could be outside a teenager's budget
50 mins
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thanks
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Discussion