GARDYLOO!

[Dr. Goodword]

• Gardyloo! •

Pronunciation: gah(r)-di-lu

Part of Speech: Interjection

Meaning: An exclamation alerting passers-by to dirty water or more offensive liquid about to be dropped from a window above their heads.

Notes: The second-floor dwellers in parts of Scotland traditionally shout this warning before emptying their wash bowls and slop buckets onto the street below. It is a good word to know when strolling the by-ways of Kiltland even if it is of little use elsewhere.

In Play: If you are a student with so little homework that you have time to drop water bombs out the window of your dorm, you should at least show the courtesy to shout, "Gardyloo!" before loosing your next aquagrenade. But why restrict this rippingly cute heads-up to plummeting liquid? "Fore!" on the golf course always struck me as a limp sound, too easily ignored. If we shouted, "Gardyloo!" other golfers would fall down laughing, clearing the way for our ball much faster.

Word History: According to legend, King Philippe Auguste of France (1180-1223) was drenched with the contents of a chamber pot on while strolling the streets of Paris. The upshot of his misfortune was a regulation directing all upstairs Parisians to exclaim, "gare à l'eau!" (look out for the water!) before dumping sordid liquids out the window. Why the Scots took to this word is anyone's guess. However, for whatever reason. they did add their magic to the sophisticated French phrase to create today's good and funny word. (Miriam Brown's suggestion of this word seemed to have the ring of experience but perhaps I read too much into it.)

[M. Henri Day]

One can only be relieved (no pun intended) that the Scots did not come to shout «Gardymer !» But I find today's word interesting in that it may provide a hint as to the origin of the British «loo» for toilet, WC ; could it just possibly be a contraction of «l'eau». Dictionaries generally refer to the origin as unknown....

Henri

[tcward]

I always thought there was a l'eau-loo connection... And I could have sworn that I've seen it mentioned various other places as well.

But the reason I decided to reply to this thread is to say that Dr GW missed a great opportunity for a pun: Miriam Brown, "flushed" with success at having her word chosen, etc.

-Tim

[Dr. Goodword]

Sorry we figured this one out so late, but you might enjoy hearing our new sound file for Gardyloo!

http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/goodword.jsp?word=Gardyloo!

[KatyBr]

It sounded like Wendy to me.....

Katy