May I leave the room please
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382440)
Rockingham, Australia
October 29, 2017 5:53pm CST
My last post was about how @MarymargII enjoys horror movies but sometimes has to leave the room if the film becomes too scary. The phrase ‘leave the room’ caught my attention and I was taken back to my primary school days when, if we needed to go to the toilet during class, we had to raise our hand and say ‘May we leave the room please?’ The meaning of course was ‘may I go to the toilet’.
It now strikes me a strange expression but I guess back then it was considered the polite thing to do. So I’m wondering how others, during their school-days, asked permission to leave class to go to the toilet. Any takers?
The photo is of an outdoor toilet of a type that was common in Australia in the good old days.
19 people like this
20 responses
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
30 Oct 17
I think we asked, "May I be excused, please?" My grandmother had an out house when I was young and I hated it!
4 people like this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
30 Oct 17
@JudyEv Is a redback a snake? I was always scared of snakes, spiders, wasps, even dirt daubers because I can't tell the difference between them and wasps!
3 people like this
@JudyEv (382440)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Oct 17
@1creekgirl A redback is a spider and gives a very nasty bite. I had a photo of one somewhere but can't find it at the moment.
2 people like this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
30 Oct 17
one of my aunties had one at the end of her garden... which she made us children use when we were young because she didn't want her new one to be used by us..
bloomin cheek... the next year when we went to see her... we were allowed to use the inside toilet...
and yes ... when in school we used the same expresion ifcwe needed to go to the toilet.
and yes ... when in school we used the same expresion ifcwe needed to go to the toilet.3 people like this
@JudyEv (382440)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Oct 17
@sueznewz2 Not in the toilet itself!! Next to the pan! 
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
30 Oct 17
way, way back in elementary, i remember it was 'may i go out' but if you said, 'can i go out,' you will be told, 'yes , you can, but you may not.'
i notice most of the responses seem to avoid using the word 'toilet'.
we traveled to our parent's hometown every summer when we were growing up. the toilet and bath were separate, but they were behind the house.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
30 Oct 17
@JudyEv here it would be banyo, kubeta, casillas. but when we're out, say at the mall or a restaurant or function room or someone's house, we tend to ask "nasaan ang cr (comfort room) or washroom or ladies/men's room or restroom?" yes, in taglish (mix of tagalog and english)
3 people like this
@JudyEv (382440)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Oct 17
@LoriAMoore That sounds logical.
2 people like this
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@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
30 Oct 17
When we were kids, we simply raised our hands and say " Maam or Sir, may I go out? " and that's understood already, its similar to yours.
3 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17243)
• China
30 Oct 17
Interesting !I never would associate ‘leave the room’ with 'relieve oneself ', if didn't read your post.
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
30 Oct 17
My grandfather had a toilet like in the photo but it was a three seat toilet with a small seat in the middle. I don't remember what we did in school, I think we had breaks to use the bathroom, but I think we just raised our hands and said we needed to go....
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
3 Nov 17
@JudyEv I remember sitting next to my mom when I was a little kid...
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382440)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Nov 17
@PainsOnSlate Wow, you're the first person I've ever known to have used one.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40850)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 Oct 17
@JudyEv - We had similar outdoor toilets in rural areas of the United States when I was a child. I never liked to use them. Our expression was "May I be excused?" Usually, the teach knew what we needed to do.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40850)
• Laguna Woods, California
31 Oct 17
@JudyEv - The same is true here. We never said we were going to the bathroom, as though that would be too embarrassing to mutter! LOL
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382440)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Oct 17
@DeborahDiane Pretty crazy really.
1 person likes this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
30 Oct 17
Here's how "scary" this movie is~~~ I can't even remember how we asked---ha!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382440)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Oct 17
@MarymargII It's the stodge that helps the memory although I can't remember the last time I had it! 
1 person likes this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
31 Oct 17
@JudyEv Glad you're memory is still holding strong- must be all the travels of late- and a good bowl of stodge now and then! ha!
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (78833)
• East Tawas, Michigan
30 Oct 17
Both my grandma's had an outhouse, with a catalog laying on the side. We would do the same thing in school, raise our hand and ask the teacher, for her permission to leave the classroom.
2 people like this
@kobesbuddy (78833)
• East Tawas, Michigan
30 Oct 17
@JudyEv We already had indoor toilets, in the school's basement.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
30 Oct 17
We used to have to say may we go to the lavatory I was in a private Catholic School
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Oct 17
You don't use the term "loo"?
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43655)
• Denver, Colorado
31 Oct 17
We just asked if we could use the bathroom.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43655)
• Denver, Colorado
1 Nov 17
@JudyEv - When I was in high school, I did have a class that allowed us to just get up and leave if we had to go.
1 person likes this
