"Herodotus" wrote in message
...

Actually, I love the Americanisms such as "I'll fix dinner" - what's
wrong with it? and the various references to the latrine - Little
girl's room", "powder my nose" and so on. Nothing as basic as our
"Where are the toilets?" or "I have to go".

That is reasonably polite, not basic.
Basic is 'Where's the bog'