There was also 'Church' smell, which seemed to come mostly from the stacks of hymn and prayer books, Bibles etc.In the first couple of years I was there- 'Primary School' smell. (Not to be confused with 'Village Hall' smell).
Perhaps more irritating than scary though.
There was also 'Church' smell, which seemed to come mostly from the stacks of hymn and prayer books, Bibles etc.
I remember being scared of our toilet that had a low down cistern like most toilets have now. I thought something could come back out of the toilet and get me when flushed. I can't think why it might be. Maybe they produce some sort of high-pitched sound frequency that only young children can hear? It might be enough to instill fear if it was specific to a toilet flush and was very loud.You could be on to something here. As children we were usually told 'not' to pull at big heavy things above us, and often told in graphic detail what would happen if they came off the wall/fell on us.
And then we were expected to do that very thing, with a big china box of water seven feet above our heads!
It happened to the In House GP's niece - she pulled the chain on a high mounted cistern in a school toilet and it did fall on her head.You could be on to something here. As children we were usually told 'not' to pull at big heavy things above us, and often told in graphic detail what would happen if they came off the wall/fell on us.
And then we were expected to do that very thing, with a big china box of water seven feet above our heads!
Be afraid, very afraid.I'm fascinated and surprised to read a lot of people posting about their fear of toilets and/or flushes. You're making me think that maybe I should be frightened of them! Is there a word for it? 'Flushophobia' would do for me, but maybe someone has already coined a proper word for it.
Pushing is fine, Beresford - but do please try to resist the temptation to strain.I'm pushing for cludgiephobia.
Thanks, Trev. How about we could shorten it to just 'zhitophobia' .... assuming that isn't already taken?I would suggest that, (seeing as phobias always seem to be named after 'the Greek word for xxxx') we used the term 'Depozhitophobia', as the Greek word for a tank/cistern is "ντεπόζιτο" which has the pronunciation 'Depozhito' in English.
Pushing is fine, Beresford - but do please try to resist the temptation to strain.
Ah yes, the 'cludgie' . A term I was unfamiliar with until about 10 years ago, when friends moved to a new home which had a downstairs loo just inside the front door which they called the 'cludgie'. Is it a regional colloquialism? It sounds kinda Scottish to my southern softie ears.
'Cludgiephobia' does have a ring to it. Not to be confused with budgiephobia (fear of small colourful caged birds), or pudgiephobia (fear of mildly obese people), or fudgiephobia (fear of passing slightly-too-soft stools).
It would earn a fair number of points in Scrabble.I was holding out for 'swooshyswooshyrattleclankophobia', but realise that this is of very limited use.
It would also require four and a half 'hands' worth to play...It would earn a fair number of points in Scrabble.
I was holding out for 'swooshyswooshyrattleclankophobia', but realise that this is of very limited use.
It would earn a fair number of points in Scrabble.
It wouldn't fit on the board, seeing as it is a 15 x 15 playing area.t would also require four and a half 'hands' worth to play...
I call for NEW RULES SCRABBLE!It wouldn't fit on the board, seeing as it is a 15 x 15 playing area.
You would need to create some kind of new rules allowing the use of 3 boards side by side, or create a new board that was at least 32 squares across (or down).
And then you've got the question of whether or not the letter distribution would allow for it.
Unless you have both blanks available it's unlikely, as there are only 2 of the letter H and you'd need 3.
Because it's a rather sinister ritual? It might have felt like being marked for death, or at least as "do not resuscitate"; or perhaps it reminded you of marks on plague victims' doors.I too was afraid of the toilet flush but only at night.
For a few years as a kid I was terrified of getting ashes on my forehead on Ash Wednesday. I have no idea why.
I think some toilets are really noisy, and scary - particularly the older ones.Because it's a rather sinister ritual? It might have felt like being marked for death, or at least as "do not resuscitate"; or perhaps it reminded you of marks on plague victims' doors.
I vaguely have a memory of devout worshippers going around with the ash marks on their forehead and my mum telling me it was ashes. I think I got it confused with people's ashes from cremation and having the same sort of fear as you.I too was afraid of the toilet flush but only at night.
For a few years as a kid I was terrified of getting ashes on my forehead on Ash Wednesday. I have no idea why.
More to the point why did the 70's TV adaptation of The Owl Service have what can only be an extremely loud toilet flush during the weird music in the opening credits? Toilets in any form play no part in the book at all.That's a new one on me.
They're not Jesus' ashes then? Whose ashes are they?I vaguely have a memory of devout worshippers going around with the ash marks on their forehead and my mum telling me it was ashes. I think I got it confused with people's ashes from cremation and having the same sort of fear as you.
Blimey. I read that too quickly and I thought you had said 'devil worshippers'. I thought "what kind of upbringing did you have, catseye!??".I vaguely have a memory of devout worshippers going around with the ash marks on their forehead and my mum telling me it was ashes.
I vaguely remember the tv serial of "The Owl Service" - and have coincidentally just bought the book. I'm quite relieved to hear that toilets play no part in it. That would just be weird.More to the point why did the 70's TV adaptation of The Owl Service have what can only be an extremely loud toilet flush during the weird music in the opening credits? Toilets in any form play no part in the book at all.
Ashes were supposed to signify repentence for one's sins - Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, so it's supposed to be when you think upon your sins. Back when I was young in the 60s the church was still more of a part of people's lives than it is now and I went to a church school, so we did church services for what the church considered Important Occasions,They're not Jesus' ashes then? Whose ashes are they?
Why do they use ash? I don't think I have ever known why some churches do that....
I never went to the sort of church that did them....
I seem to remember that some of the 'noises' in Dr Who were made by scratching piano strings and then playing the sound backwards, but I might be misremembering that.Blimey. I read that too quickly and I thought you had said 'devil worshippers'. I thought "what kind of upbringing did you have, catseye!??".
I vaguely remember the tv serial of "The Owl Service" - and have coincidentally just bought the book. I'm quite relieved to hear that toilets play no part in it. That would just be weird.
I believe I'm correct in saying this : I think the weird guttural sort-of roaring sounds that the fearsome Yeti (well, fearsome to a six year-old) made in their second appearance in "Doctor Who" was actually achieved by electronically treating a recording of a toilet flushing. I'm not sure if that would explain why some people are frightened of the untreated flushing sound though. Perhaps the sound engineer chose that noise because he was scared of it? Just a theory.
Yes, famously that was how they created the distinctive "wheezing groaning" sound of the the TARDIS dematerialising.I seem to remember that some of the 'noises' in Dr Who were made by scratching piano strings and then playing the sound backwards, but I might be misremembering that.
I grew up in the 70s. I went to church but not the sort that did ashes on foreheads....Ashes were supposed to signify repentence for one's sins - Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, so it's supposed to be when you think upon your sins. Back when I was young in the 60s the church was still more of a part of people's lives than it is now and I went to a church school, so we did church services for what the church considered Important Occasions,
I'm still slightly surprised nowadays that nobody knows about things like this, but I guess it's not taught any more.