"Hey, have you seen that these long-drops have skylights?" I shout to M as he bikes ahead of me onto the grass and to the picnic table where we always have our rest break. Pretty stylish for a forest.
I get off the bike scolding myself, "Outhouse, outhouse, I've got to remember it is an outhouse." After thirteen years of living in Canada I still often default to South African terminology (see Bob's My Burger February 2010). And 'long-drop' is one of them.
Once in a conversation with Jean, we were talking camping and I was merrily versing about long-drops. Jean interrupted me, "They're called outhouses." Whatever else I was going to say went down the toilet.
"What? Don't you like the word 'long-drop'?"
"No, it is too graphic."
South African frankness meets Canadian politeness.
And looking at these cabin style units with their clear Perspex skylight roofs, I suspect they've earned the more stylish title of 'outhouse'. But, whichever way I word it and for whichever reason I use it, certain little functions still have a long way to drop.
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