Boudoir

[David Myer]

Usually understood to be a lady's private room, the interesting thing about this word is its origin. It comes from the French bouder, to sulk. It is in fact a sulking room.

How terribly French and civilised!

Fascinatingly, the presence of a boudoir, by virtue of its existence, eases the pressure to use it - if I really get upset, I have somewhere I can go, so I don't need to get upset. But if there isn't one to go to, the pressure builds and the need for the room is all the greater.

For some people (usually men), the garden shed is a boudoir. Others take the newspaper to the lavatory.

[Slava]

Interesting thought, to use boudoir for something men do, too. I like the "reading material" idea. Mine is currently an etymological dictionary. Yep, I'm weird, but I don't bite.