This Week’s Fun & Fancy Word: Gardyloo!
This Week’s Fun & Fancy Word Is:
It’s a silly, fun-to-say word to be sure! But, if you were an 18th-century Scotsman walking down the street and heard it being hollered, you’d make an abrupt move away from any window you might be passing under. Because what was about to be tossed out that window was definitely not something you’d wanna be covered in for the rest of the day.
Etymology:
Origin of Gardyloo
It comes from the French expression, “Prenez garde a l’eau!” The literal translation means ‘beware of the water.’ But in 18th-century Edinburgh it’s a warning that the person doing the hollering is about to empty their chamber pot out the window.[1]
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