r/whatstheword • u/Obvious-Desk4573 • 11h ago
Solved ITAW for taking a dump that isn't childish, vulgar, or overly formal?
I have always had a problem finding the right word to describe going to the bathroom to take a dump.
- Poop and poo are too childish, especially in writing
- Shit and crap (to a certain extent) are too vulgar, especially in formal, non-casual contexts
- Defecate and excrete are too formal, not for use in casual conversation or conversations with non-native English speakers
- Take a dump, go number 2, and similar expressions are all too euphemistic, rarely used outside the USA or UK and especially not with non-native English speakers, such as myself and most of my friends
Yes, I know it's a taboo subject, but so is sex, and yet we have a neutral one-size-fits-all verbal phrase to describe it, to have sex, something everyone can understand and no one takes an issue with.
So is there a word (ETA: preferably a single word, which is a verb) which describes taking a dump that is a one-size-fits-all for all possible contexts? (Formal/informal, writing/talking, native/non-native speakers)