TAILORING YOUR LANGUAGE-3 FOR ESL/EFL STUDENTS

Describing Bodily Functions

By Bibi Baxter

THE CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE

• Describing Bodily Functions (Scroll to Next Box)

• Speaking About Vomiting

• Speaking About Visiting the Toilet

• Speaking About Urinating

Describing Bodily Functions

When talking about bodily functions, it is important to tailor your language according to the situation and to whom you are speaking, otherwise you may offend or give the wrong impression about yourself.

For example: 

• speaking directly is not always polite

• the use of idioms is a delicate way of not speaking directly

• in rough company (man to man), coarse language might be acceptable 

SPEAKING ABOUT VOMITING

HOSPITAL/OFFICIAL

GENERAL

COARSE

• to vomit

• to be sick
• to bring one's food up
• to feel queasy (before)
• to feel sick (before)
• to feel rough (before)

• to throw up

• to spew one’s guts up

• to puke

SPEAKING ABOUT VISITING THE TOILET

• To go to the lavatory
• To go to the toilet
• To go to the ladies 
• To go to the gents 

• To pay a visit
• To visit the ladies' room
• To powder one's nose
• To go to the loo

SAID BY MEN

• To see a man about a dog 

SAID BY CHILDREN

• to do a wee
• to do no.1
• to do no.2
• to go to poup

AMERICA:  

• To go to the bathroom

• to have a slash
• to pee
• to piss
• to shit
• to do a dump

SPEAKING ABOUT URINATING

COARSE

• To pass water

• To urinate
• To relieve oneself

• To go to the toilet (etc)
• To spend a penny

SAID BY CHILDREN

• To do a wee 
• To do number one
• To do a tinkle

• to have a piss

• to have a slash

• to have a leak

SPEAKING ABOUT BOWEL MOVEMENTS

HOSPITAL

• to have bowel movements

• to have loose stools (diarrhea)

• to be constipated

• to pass a motion

OFFICIAL, ETC.

• to defecate

• to go to the toilet (etc)
• to have an upset stomach (diarrhea)

SAID BY CHILDREN

• to do number two
• to do a poo

• to have a shit

IDIOMS

• to do a packet
• to do a dump
• to do one's daily dozen