[JenBurdoo] Eau de toilette

[JenBurdoo]

A man flushes a toilet once an hour, every hour, for two days. Why?

[Doriana]

Is the toilet in the man's house? at his place of work? in a public place? on a vehicle?

Does he flush anything down the toilet? If so, something you would expect in a toilet? Something else?

WAG: Prison communication relevant?

[JenBurdoo]

Is the toilet in the man's house? No, but ... at his place of work? This. in a public place? No. on a vehicle? No.

Does he flush anything down the toilet? Nothing but water. If so, something you would expect in a toilet? Something else?

WAG: Prison communication relevant? No.

[trebor]

You said, "No, but..." to it being in his house. Does that mean that his workplace has something house-ish about it? Does he work in someone else's home?

Is he a plumber? An employee of the water and sewage department? A maintenance worker?

Is he testing something? Trying to prove a point about water wastage? Is anyone else around when he does this? Does he flush the same toilet each time?

[JenBurdoo]

You said, "No, but..." to it being in his house. Does that mean that his workplace has something house-ish about it? Yes. Does he work in someone else's home? Yes.

Is he a plumber? An employee of the water and sewage department? A maintenance worker? None of these.

Is he testing something? No. Trying to prove a point about water wastage? No. Is anyone else around when he does this? Irr. Does he flush the same toilet each time? Yes.

[Sundowner]

Does he do this flushing round the clock? (i.e. 24 times a day)
Is he living in this house? or does he just go there every hour to flush the toilet?
Is flushing the toilet part of his job?
Does someone see? hear? him flush the toilet?
Would something bad happen if he did not flush the toilet?
Is the flushing basically a signal that he is there?

[JenBurdoo]

Does he do this flushing round the clock? (i.e. 24 times a day) Yes.
Is he living in this house? Yes. or does he just go there every hour to flush the toilet?
Is flushing the toilet part of his job? Temporarily, yes.
Does someone see? hear? him flush the toilet? Irr. Assume yes.
Would something bad happen if he did not flush the toilet? For a fairly low value of "bad," but yes.
Is the flushing basically a signal that he is there? No.

[Doriana]

So, the man lives and works in this house, but it's not his house, correct? Does he live there permanently? temporarily? Is he a butler? cleaner? cook? nanny? pet sitter? house sitter?

If the house had multiple toilets, would it matter which one he flushed?

[trebor]

Is this done to clear the pipes? To prevent them from freezing? To thaw them once they've already frozen? Is the water regular toilet water? Water that he dumps into the toilet? (Perhaps boiling water?)

Is this in modern times? With a regular flush toilet?

[JenBurdoo]

So, the man lives and works in this house, but it's not his house, correct? Yes. Does he live there permanently? This. temporarily? Is he a butler? cleaner? cook? nanny? pet sitter? house sitter? Assume a valet, but most servants would do.

If the house had multiple toilets, would it matter which one he flushed? Yes.

Is this done to clear the pipes? To prevent them from freezing? To thaw them once they've already frozen? No to all. Is the water regular toilet water? Yes. Water that he dumps into the toilet? No. (Perhaps boiling water?) No.

Is this in modern times? Assume 20th century. With a regular flush toilet? Yes.

[LemonCurry]

Is the toilet also used normally as a toilet during the two days?
Is the toilet flushed at exact 1-hour time intervals? At every full hour?

Is the toilet flushing some sort of signal? Is the flushing noise relevant? The water?

Is the valet pretending the toilet is used? Pretending someone is present? Pretending someone is awake?

[Sundowner]

Is someone else living in the house during this time?
if so: are these people using this toilet?
Are there more toilets in the house? but only one specific of them is flushed regularly?

[JenBurdoo]

Is the toilet also used normally as a toilet during the two days? Irr, assume no.
Is the toilet flushed at exact 1-hour time intervals? At every full hour? Irr, assume yes.

Is the toilet flushing some sort of signal? No. Is the flushing noise relevant? No. The water? Yes.

Is the valet pretending the toilet is used? Pretending someone is present? Pretending someone is awake? No to all.

Is someone else living in the house during this time? Yes.
if so: are these people using this toilet? Irr, assume no.
Are there more toilets in the house? Yes. but only one specific of them is flushed regularly? Correct.

[LemonCurry]

Is the flushed water collected and used for something else?

Is there a shortage of freshwater? Are there restrictions on water consumption?

[trebor]

Is it relevant who lives in the house? How many people live in the house? What their professions are? If there are guests staying over?

Could this work in a household that doesn't have servants? Like if the homeowner was doing it themselves? Does the house have to be of a certain size? Is the age of the house relevant? Is there something relevant about the house itself? About the estate/property?

[JenBurdoo]

Is the flushed water collected and used for something else? No.

Is there a shortage of freshwater? No. Are there restrictions on water consumption? No.

Is it relevant who lives in the house? Mildly. How many people live in the house? No. What their professions are? Mildly. If there are guests staying over? Yes, and there are.

Could this work in a household that doesn't have servants? Yes. Like if the homeowner was doing it themselves? Yes. Does the house have to be of a certain size? No. Is the age of the house relevant? No. Is there something relevant about the house itself? No. About the estate/property? Mildly.

[biograd]

Is sanitation/hygiene the relevant objective? or the fact that the same water doesn't sit in the toilet tank for very long? or the fact that the pipes (either water or sewer) have moving water in them?

[JenBurdoo]

Is sanitation/hygiene the relevant objective? No. or the fact that the same water doesn't sit in the toilet tank for very long? Yes. or the fact that the pipes (either water or sewer) have moving water in them? No.

[trebor]

Is it two guests? Three? Four? Five? More? Are the guests a couple? Family? Are they related to the homeowners? Friends of them? Co-workers? Work associates? Rivals?

Are any animals involved? Does the season matter?

Do we still have a LTPF list of professions on the forum?

[JenBurdoo]

Is it two guests? Three? Four? Five? More? Exact numbers irrelevant, though I would guess no more than a dozen. Assume ... four. Are the guests a couple? Possibly. Family? Possibly. Are they related to the homeowners? Friends of them? Co-workers? Work associates? This, but any of the others would work. Rivals?

Are any animals involved? Yes. Does the season matter? No.

Do we still have a LTPF list of professions on the forum? The host is a politician, but again, almost anything would work.

[Sundowner]

Are animals living in the house?
Was the house owner afraid animals could come into the house through the toilet?
Relevant why the servant flushed the toilet only for two days? Was he told to stop? was he fired? did the guests leave?
Is there something specific about this toilet we still have to find out? (as he did not flush the other toilets in the house)
Was it the toilet for the guests?

[JenBurdoo]

Are animals living in the house? No.
Was the house owner afraid animals could come into the house through the toilet? No.
Relevant why the servant flushed the toilet only for two days? Yes. Was he told to stop? No. was he fired? No. did the guests leave? Eventually, yes.
Is there something specific about this toilet we still have to find out? (as he did not flush the other toilets in the house) His reason for flushing only this toilet is relevant, but there is nothing special about the toilet that makes it different from other toilets.
Was it the toilet for the guests? No.

[Doriana]

Did the guests relevantly bring animals?

Are the relevant animals mammals? reptiles? birds? amphibians? fish? are they considered pets? pests? livestock?

[JenBurdoo]

Did the guests relevantly bring animals? No.

Are the relevant animals mammals? reptiles? birds? amphibians? fish? This. are they considered pets? No. pests? No. livestock? Depends on source - assume no.

[GalFisk]

Does he fluch anything down the toilet (except the water)?
WAG: do the fishes live in the toilet cistern, and he flushes the toilet so that they can get fresh, aerated water?

[JenBurdoo]

Does he flush anything down the toilet (except the water)? No.
WAG: do the fishes live in the toilet cistern, and he flushes the toilet so that they can get fresh, aerated water? Absolutely correct, except for a false assumption.

[GalFisk]

Is the false assumption: thet there is more than one fish? That it lives? That it's in the cistern? That it gets fresh water? The the water gets aerated? Tha the water is for the fish(es)? That the flushing benefits the fish(es)? Something else? Does he know there is/are (a) fish?

[JenBurdoo]

Wow, more to pick up on here than I realized!

Is the false assumption: that there is more than one fish? That it lives? This is the primary one. That it's in the cistern? That it gets fresh water? That the water gets aerated? Irr. That the water is for the fish(es)? No, but... That the flushing benefits the fish(es)? No, but... Something else? Does he know there is/are (a) fish? Yes.

No to the others.

[biograd]

Are the fish already caught, and being kept submerged in water in the toilet tank in order to keep them fresh (though I don't know why it wouldn't be easier and cleaner to use a sink or even a well-cleaned bathtub for this purpose)? I remember a puzzle like that on the Futility Closet podcast, except that one did involve a bathtub.

[GalFisk]

Is a fridge, freezer or other more appropriate place to keep a fish: broken? Unavailable? Unsuitable for some reason? If the fish being kept in secret? Is the toilet being flushed to let in new, cold water? Which will keep the dead fish fresh?

[JenBurdoo]

Are the fish already caught, Yes. and being kept submerged in water in the toilet tank in order to keep them fresh No. (though I don't know why it wouldn't be easier and cleaner to use a sink or even a well-cleaned bathtub for this purpose)? The answer to the puzzle will explain. I remember a puzzle like that on the Futility Closet podcast, except that one did involve a bathtub.

Is a fridge, freezer or other more appropriate place to keep a fish: broken? Unavailable? Unsuitable for some reason? This. Is the fish being kept in secret? No. Is the toilet being flushed to let in new, cold water? Yes. Which will keep the dead fish fresh? No.

[GalFisk]

Is the water being replaced in order to: cool? Clean? Not smell? Is this a treatment suitable for: all fish? Many fish? Only certain fish?
Is this procedure easier than what's normally done? Such as emptying and replacing water?
Is the fish supposed ot being repeatedly rinsed, and this is the chosen way?
Is a substance being leached out from the fish? Such as lye? Salt? Mercury?

[JenBurdoo]

Is the water being replaced in order to: cool? Clean? Not smell? None of these. Is this a treatment suitable for: all fish? Many fish? Only certain fish? This.
Is this procedure easier than what's normally done? Yes. Such as emptying and replacing water? Yes.
Is the fish supposed ot being repeatedly rinsed, and this is the chosen way? Yes.
Is a substance being leached out from the fish? And yes. Such as lye? Salt? This. Mercury?

SPOILER:







The fish is dried, salted cod. Until fairly recently, this was the standard method of preserving cod. Before preparation, the cod had to be placed in water for at least two days to rehydrate and also leach away the salt. It is recommended to change the water regularly. In this incident drawn from Mark Kurlansky's history The Cod's Tale, a salt cod was placed in the tank of a toilet in the French premier's residence in 1947 before a state dinner, and a valet assigned to regularly flush it.