What is it with British toilets

You guys have waaaay more toilet issues than us (Take a look at my welcome post for more info).

LOL! Yeah...don't you just hate it when you have issues with those "bits"?? LOL!

I must confess, I think I have come to terms and peace with my surrounding toilets, all has been well in the "world of flush" for me!

Well, I have cried twice today now First was the onions at lunch, then when I read the first post on this subject! LOL I swear that is exactly my words since I arrived in this country!!! Not too much with public toilets, no issue... but the one here at home makes me crazy!

Toilet is the actual thing not the room.  I wouldn't call the kitchen "stove", or the living room "sofa".   

Surely it is the room not the water-closet itself?  The OED has eight definitions of the noun TOILET, most of them seem archaic and only one is related to the water-closet.  It is;

A dressing-room; in U.S. esp. a dressing-room furnished with bathing facilities. Hence, a bath-room, a lavatory; (contextually), a lavatory bowl or pedestal; a room or cubicle containing a lavatory.

Surely it is the room not the water-closet itself?  The OED has eight definitions of the noun TOILET, most of them seem archaic and only one is related to the water-closet.  It is;

A dressing-room; in U.S. esp. a dressing-room furnished with bathing facilities. Hence, a bath-room, a lavatory; (contextually), a lavatory bowl or pedestal; a room or cubicle containing a lavatory.

I'm not sure what you mean.  I just looked it up on the online Oxford dictionary, which has two definitions of toilet, and this is the very first one:

1 a large bowl for urinating or defecating into, typically plumbed into a sewage system and with a flushing mechanism; a lavatory:Liz heard the toilet flush

I'm not sure what you mean.  I just looked it up on the online Oxford dictionary, which has two definitions of toilet, and this is the very first one:

Hmm.. we may be looking at different versions of the OED?  The version I'm looking in (and it is updated daily, I believe..) has toilet as a noun and as a verb.  Under the noun, there are eight different definitions, none of which is the one you quote.  The one I quoted is #7.  The etymology given is;

Etymology:  < French toilette  /twalɛt/ , diminutive of toile cloth: see toil n.2 Compare tillet n.1

EDIT TO ADD; Problem solved!  I just looked at the "free" Oxford Dictionaries site that is available on the web, and that has the definition you quote.  I'm using the subscription-based access to the full Oxford English Dictionary, which obviously has a lot more content in it; but apparently does not include the definition in the free site, which must be from one of their other dictionaries..

Well, I'm glad you got to the "bottom" of that, though before you get all "flushed" with pride, the OED simply takes "water"ever the "pee"ple are saying "colon"oquially anyway.  So, simply put, it's whatever "Ur eye n'all" can see, oh and what my "sister 'n" her friends call it. 
Hmm I think I'm scraping the bottom of the "bowl" there.  ... I'd best just go and play with my "Wii"

Well, I'm glad you got to the "bottom" of that, though before you get all "flushed" with pride, the OED simply takes "water"ever the "pee"ple are saying "colon"oquially anyway.  So, simply put, it's whatever "Ur eye n'all" can see, oh and what my "sister 'n" her friends call it. 
Hmm I think I'm scraping the bottom of the "bowl" there.  ... I'd best just go and play with my "Wii"

This is true.  It is both descriptive and historical and the entry on toilet certainly looks like it needs an update to bring it in line with current usage.

Just be glad you don't have to deal with German toilets! I don't want to get graphic but I find them extremely unpleasant. 

Just be glad you don't have to deal with German toilets! I don't want to get graphic but I find them extremely unpleasant. 

I think the observation shelf has already been discussed somewhere?! 

OMG....this post has me laughing so hard!!! My fiance recently asked me....why do you pump the handle on the toilet over and over again?? When I read this I started laughing so hard I cried, lol. It is a common joke between us.....the fact that toilets in England just don't seem to work the same as the ones I am used to in the US. He arrogantly (and kiddingly) tells me that England is the best country in the world.....and I tell him that it would be pretty great if they had "normal" plumbing, lol.

And while we are talking plumbing...what is up with the box in the shower for hot water? Another one I had never seen before visiting the uk 

Thanks for the laugh !!

 !!!!!!!

This thread has me cracking up, as well! I've never had such troubles with terlits, until I moved here! As a self-confessed former "toilet MacGyver," when I was still living in the States, I've found that there is no way of fixing a wonky pubic toilet, here! I'm still getting used to referring to the "toilet" colloquially, instead of the less innocuous-sounding American equivalent, "restroom." Somehow, a visit to the toilet sounds a bit gauche to me. I guess I'm somewhat prudish, when it comes to certain words.

@arwanafly--

I KNOW, right?! All of the plumbing here has me completely stumped! What IS with the hot water box, anyway?! Someone please 'splain this to us!   We have one on our kitchen sink, as well. There is no such thing as tepid water, from our faucet; it either comes out well digger's ars*-COLD, or hotter than McDonalds' coffee!

Hahahhaha I could not for the life of me flush the toliet in Abbey Road studios and I immediately thought of this thread! In fact, I was in an old men's room marked 'ladies toliet'-   You'd think somewhere that hosts so many famous people would have much better loos, but no, they were pretty much the standard abomination of loos in a pub 

I KNOW, right?! All of the plumbing here has me completely stumped! What IS with the hot water box, anyway?! Someone please 'splain this to us!   We have one on our kitchen sink, as well. There is no such thing as tepid water, from our faucet; it either comes out well digger's ars*-COLD, or hotter than McDonalds' coffee!

Okay, the hot water heater above the sink is there (usually) is an afterthought in older houses that didn't have central heating.

It's an electric (though sometimes gas) heater just to heat the water for that sink.

Oh, and there is only one thing hotter than McDonald's coffee ... the hottest substance known to man: McDonald's Apple Pies.

My father used to be thoroughly amazed about all the "outside plumbing" on British houses. Meaning how all the outflow pipes are on the outside of the building.

Bwahahahahhahaha 
Uncletalon you are so right about the hottest substance known to man, I almost wet my pants with that one. Good thing I have an American toilet to run too.