h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Two Story Outhouses of the United States - A3943749
Author: Not Banned Yet - U180337

A tip of the hat to Jodan, whose excellent entry on the United States, A3776196, includes a mention of two-story outhouses, which was the inspiration for this entry.

Top stuff! I am increasingly amazed by the extraordinary amount of arcane knowledge out there in h2g2. Whilst I have no extra two-storey outhouse experience to contribute, I do have a couple of grammatical and punctuational bits of pedantry that might make the entry easier to read.

'advertising this ‘historical two story outhouse’ a ‘tourist activity’'

Perhaps should be 'as a 'tourist activity''

'The outhouse was originally attached two a building,'

Should be 'to a building'.

'The owners of the general store, understandable,'

Should be 'understandably'.

Other than that, it's a hoot!

*Blinks.*

Well I wasn't expecting THAT to happen.

I'll try again.

'advertising this 'historical two story outhouse' a 'tourist activity''

Should be 'as a 'tourist activity''

What a marvellous entry! I didn't spot anything that YalsonKSA didn't, so no nitpicks from me. There's always something new to learn here at h2g2.

David

'Two story' or two-storey?

story or storey?

I'd say 'storey' but perhaps this is an American usage with which I'm not familiar.

I was afraid the UK English folks would catch us on this...

Amy's right NBY, storey is the 'proper' word. I also wondered about the hyphen, I think it probably needs to be there too as two-story (or storey even) is a compound modifer describing the outhouse.

But a real cracker of an entry!


- Jimi X

Thank you all for the input.

All of the suggested changes have been made, with the exceptions of describing the "historical two story outhouse," because the sign really dies say "two story," and the "two-story" designation for the Sierra Club outhouse at Lake Tahoe, which really does use "two-story" to describe the outhouse on their web site.

Keep 'em coming!

NBY

I've received this comment, off the peer review thread.

"In the UK the term 'outhouse' usually refers to a 'lean-to', that is, a building using one of the walls of the main building, and consisting of 3 'free' walls and usually a sloping roof. Another UK use of the term means a shed or other free-standing building in the garden (or estate if you are British middle or upper-class which the writer is not)."

"The building you are illustrating exists in Britain, of course, but we politely refer to it as a 'S...house, sometimes a brick s...house if we are referring to a rather muscular guy!"

A question for other researchers in the UK... How serious a problem is this? Does it need to be addressed in the entry?

NBY

My Collins English dictionary describes an outhouse as a 'building near to, but separate from, a main building'. So no mention of crapping there then.

That said, it is obvious from the entry as to what you are referring to. Plus you're talking about a particularly American invention. Therefore I reckon we can allow you US usage of the word 'outhouse' throughout.

A solution for getting around the language thing would be by using a footnote to the first incidence of outhouse in the entry. A footnote running something along the lines of, "A privy or other outdoors toilet."

Good suggestion, GreyDesk. I've used it.

NBY

Hi NBY - this is a good entry. A most unusual tourist attraction!

Like the mention of the moon and star cut-outs - an interesting fact.

After reading it, I feel my knowledge of the USA (and perhaps the psychology of the tourists there!) is increased in a strange and probably useless way. Good stuff.

Only on h2g2



considers a joke about long drops - discards it.

*tips his hat back to NBY*

Excellent, and very yucky entry

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

I'm delighted to see such a great entry being accepted!

Azara

Hey, this is great. All my favourite entries are getting put in the guide!

Hooray!

My colleague has this picture on his noticeboard at work:
http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~rajwar/base/PICS/outhouse.jpg

all around.

Thanks to everyone who helped improve this entry!