"Number one" and "number two" - Linguaphiles

Another semi-obscure part of the Iconography of Americana is the use of the phrase NUMBER ONE and NUMBER TWO to refer to the 2 ways humans go to the ... ? Login Noaccount? Createanaccount Rememberme Forgotpassword Login Login Facebook Twitter Google RAMBLER&CoID ByloggingintoLiveJournalusingathird-partyserviceyouacceptLiveJournal'sUseragreement Silenceissacred,goddammit(sacundim)wroteinlinguaphiles,2004-12-2019:54:00Silenceissacred,goddammitsacundimlinguaphiles2004-12-2019:54:00Previous Share FlagNext"Numberone"and"numbertwo"TodayIwaswonderingabouttheoriginoftheeuphemisms"numberone"and"numbertwo"(forurinationanddefecation,respectively).TheonestoryI'veheardismentionedbrieflyinthispage.Iquote:Anothersemi-obscurepartoftheIconographyofAmericanaistheuseofthephraseNUMBERONEandNUMBERTWOtorefertothe2wayshumansgotothebathroom.NUMBERONEreferstopissingandNUMBERTWOreferstoshitting(andTWOrhymeswithdoo-doo).ThisallcomesdowntousAmericansfromourexperienceinschool.Somesaythatbackinthe50s,ifyouweresittinginthemiddleofclassandwantedtogotothebathroomyouraisedonefingerifyouhadtogodoaNUMBERONEandyouraisedtwofingersifyouhadtogodoaNUMBERTWO.Theteacherthenexcusedyoufromclassandyouwentanddidyourbusiness.ThisistheonlyreferenceIcanfindfromabitofgoogling,since,asyoucanimagine"numberone"and"numbertwo"turnupahugenumberofirrelevanthits.Sohere'sthefirstquestion:Question,um,numberone:Isthisstorytrue,orisitjustanurbanlegend?Ihaveonereasontobelieveit'strue.WhichisthattheexpressionsnúmerounoandnúmerodosexistinPuertoRico;andevenmore,theydonotonlyexistintheseHispanicized,calquedforms,butalsoasuntraslatedanglicismsnómberuanandnómbertu.Whyisthisarelevantfact?WhentheUSAacquiredPuertoRicoaftertheSpanish-Americanwarof1898,theysetouttoAmericanizethenativepopulation.Oneofthekeythingsthatwasdonehere,wasthatEnglishwasmadetheprimarylanguageofeducation.Thispolicy,ifIrecallcorrectly,wasinpracticeabandonedduringthe1930's,anditwasonlyofficiallyeliminatedinthe1950's.However,linguisticfossilsstillremainfromthatage.Forexample,inclassroomsinPuertoRicotothisday,studentsaddresstheteacher,inSpanish,withthetitleMisi,whichisclearlyanEnglishborrowing.(There'salsootherfossilsofthisage:bilingualschoolsongsthatteachsomebasicEnglishvocabulary;thefolktaleabouthowGeorgeWashingtononlytoldonelieinhiswholelife,aboutknockingdownacherrytree.)Sohere'sanotherquestion.An"yes"answertothisquestionknocksoutmyhypothesisthatthisexpressioncameintoPuertoRicobytheeducationalpoliciesoftheUSA:Numbertwo:dotheeuphemismsnúmerounoandnúmerodosexistinotherdialectsofSpanish?Iftheydo,thenit'spossiblethattheyexistedinPuertoRicobeforeAmericanrule.Andonemorequestion:Finalquestion:Dootherlanguages/dialectshavetheseeuphemisms?Subscribe'Banned'ExpressionsFor2022?Areyouguiltyofsaying“wait,what?”whenyouhearsomethingsurprising?Whataboutjumpingonthetrendof“askingforfriend”wheneveryone,…Languagesasthe'ParallelWorlds'“Languageisalmosttheonlywindowavailabletousintoanunfamiliarworld,<...>anopportunitytoliveseverallivesatonce,movingfrom…IldonnesalangueauchatItisnotenoughtoreadFrenchcorrectly.Itisnotenoughtoliterallyunderstandwhatiswritten.YoualsoneedtobeFrenchinorderto…PostanewcommentErrorAnonymouscommentsaredisabledinthisjournalramblerIDWewilllogyouinafterpostWewilllogyouinafterpostWewilllogyouinafterpostWewilllogyouinafterpostWewilllogyouinafterpostAnonymouslyswitchramblerIDLiveJournalFacebookTwitterOpenIdGoogleMailRuVKontakteAnonymouslydefaultuserpicYourreplywillbescreenedYourIPaddresswillberecorded PostanewcommentPreviewcomment Help23commentsPostanewcomment23comments'Banned'ExpressionsFor2022?Areyouguiltyofsaying“wait,what?”whenyouhearsomethingsurprising?Whataboutjumpingonthetrendof“askingforfriend”wheneveryone,…Languagesasthe'ParallelWorlds'“Languageisalmosttheonlywindowavailabletousintoanunfamiliarworld,<...>anopportunitytoliveseverallivesatonce,movingfrom…IldonnesalangueauchatItisnotenoughtoreadFrenchcorrectly.Itisnotenoughtoliterallyunderstandwhatiswritten.YoualsoneedtobeFrenchinorderto…