answer the call of nature

present singular third person answers the call of nature · participle present answering the call of nature · participle past answered the call of nature · past answered the call of nature

1. euphemisticidiomaticTo satisfy a bodily urge to urinate or defecate.

   Unfortunately mountain climbers, like everybody else, need to answer the call of nature, and there are few toilet facilities on mountains.

   2007 July 24, “Europe's Highest Toilets Installed on Mont Blanc”, in Spiegel Online International, retrieved 03 Sep 2010

   1 more example

   Che [Guevara] jumped from his seat and rushed from the room, pursued by the entire press corps. Down the hall he went, and into the men's room where, surrounded by reporters, he proceeded to answer the call of nature, shouting: "Liberdad!"

   1978 April 18, Charles Lynch, “Trudeau struts and frets”, in Ottawa Citizen, Canada, retrieved 03 Sep 2010, page 7

   Synonyms: defecate and Thesaurus:urinate