Tissue papers

[Xinfu]

Is it correct to use the plural form here? I can find no answer from dictionaries.

-Don't take tissue papers from the cubicles. (=the place where you find toilets) They are very often dirty. If you go to restaurants, get some more tissue papers for future use. They are cleaner.

[Rusty]

Your sentences are probably fine, but I don't exactly understand them.

Tissue paper, at least in the US, is used to wrap articles.
(Facial) tissues are used to blow one's nose.
Toilet paper is used to clean up after using the toilet.
Toilets, the fixtures, are found in bathrooms/restrooms, along with a sink/wash basin and a mirror. Some restrooms offer facial tissues. All have toilet paper.
Restaurants have restrooms, equipped as described above. They offer napkins at the table, used to clean one's mouth and fingers while eating.

White collar workers work in cubicles, where they have a chair, a desk, overhead bins for storage, a light, drawers/compartments for storage under the desk and a computer on the desk beside the telephone (at a minimum).

Most people in the US have their own plentiful supplies of (facial) tissues, napkins and toilet paper, which are easily purchased at stores.
Getting them from elsewhere is probably only done by a very small portion of the population who can't afford to buy them on their own. Sorry if that offends anyone, but I'm trying to understand what the sentences mean.

facial tissue
toilet paper
napkins
cubicles
restrooms

[Xinfu]

Thank you. But would this be what is meant by 'tissue papers' in the US?

https://www.google.com.hk/search?q=t...ed=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

[islandhogan]

Hola
My first post to this forum.
Rusty I have read several of your post and you do a great job helping people learn. Here, however, I think it wasn't a cultural question, more so a question about the plural of tissue and/or paper. The examples sound like what would be given to someone traveling and not at their home. We often grab a few pieces of "tissue" or napkins when we are traveling to have in our pockets just in case. We are off to Mexico next week and we do carry tissue with us.
Xinfu. I am a native American English speaker. In my experience many people do call the paper used in the toilet "tissue paper." or just tissue. Someone might ask, " you got any more tissue?" , but regional differences may vary, "Toilet tissue" is perhaps the most common phrase. And, yes, there is facial tissue and tissue paper which is used for wrapping.
The area where a toilet is located in a public washroom, is sometines called a cubicle but more often a "stall".
The plural of tiisue paper is tissue paper. If you were asked to buy some tissue paper you would not be expected to only buy a single sheet but probably several roles. Paper is taken to be singular and plural. Do you need one piece of paper, or a few pieces? It is the modifier that often defines singular or plural. Someone may say, "Bring some paper with you to write on" meaning several pieces ( a notebook). However "papers" is also correct as in "Collect all you papers and let's go."
Wow! Complicated learning a language. Now I see why my old brain is having trouble with Espanol.
Gracias

Xinfu
Just looked at your Google link. Basically, yes. Except there is a photo there of what most here would call "paper towels", that is the heavier and larger roles of paper used for drying hands and cleaning.

[Xinfu]

Originally Posted by islandhogan

Hola
My first post to this forum.
Rusty I have read several of your post and you do a great job helping people learn. Here, however, I think it wasn't a cultural question, more so a question about the plural of tissue and/or paper. The examples sound like what would be given to someone traveling and not at their home. We often grab a few pieces of "tissue" or napkins when we are traveling to have in our pockets just in case. We are off to Mexico next week and we do carry tissue with us.
Xinfu. I am a native American English speaker. In my experience many people do call the paper used in the toilet "tissue paper." or just tissue. Someone might ask, " you got any more tissue?" , but regional differences may vary, "Toilet tissue" is perhaps the most common phrase. And, yes, there is facial tissue and tissue paper which is used for wrapping.
The area where a toilet is located in a public washroom, is sometines called a cubicle but more often a "stall".
The plural of tiisue paper is tissue paper. If you were asked to buy some tissue paper you would not be expected to only buy a single sheet but probably several roles. Paper is taken to be singular and plural. Do you need one piece of paper, or a few pieces? It is the modifier that often defines singular or plural. Someone may say, "Bring some paper with you to write on" meaning several pieces ( a notebook). However "papers" is also correct as in "Collect all you papers and let's go."
Wow! Complicated learning a language. Now I see why my old brain is having trouble with Espanol.
Gracias

Xinfu
Just looked at your Google link. Basically, yes. Except there is a photo there of what most here would call "paper towels", that is the heavier and larger roles of paper used for drying hands and cleaning.

Thank you. But why would human beings have to use tissue paper for wrapping? What are they going to wrap with tissue paper?

[islandhogan]

To me this is absolutely wonderful! I have spent a lot of time in the last few years, as a tourist, asking similar questions of Spanish speakers. I now realize this goes both ways.Tissue is just a term or word. Words are just mutually agreed upon sounds to describe things.
A rose by any other name is still a rose. I searched for the etymology of the term "tissue" and pasted it below. Tissue for wrapping is a piece of soft paper that is used to wrap something to protect it from damage. It is also part of the presentation of a gift. It seems more special and exciting if you have to remove layers of soft paper to reveal the gift. Often this will be used inside of a gift box, package or other wrapping paper. I hope this helps.http://www.shutterstock.com/s/%22tis...22/search.html


tissue (n.) mid-14c., "band or belt of rich material," from Old French tissu "a ribbon, headband, belt of woven material" (c.1200), noun use of tissu "woven, interlaced," past participle of tistre "to weave," from Latin texere "to weave, to make" (see texture (n.)). The biological sense is first recorded 1831, from French, introduced c.1800 by French anatomist Marie-François-Xavier Bichal (1771-1802). Meaning "piece of absorbent paper used as a handkerchief" is from 1929. Tissue-paper is from 1777, supposedly so called because it was made to be placed between tissues to protect them.

[wrholt]

Originally Posted by Xinfu

Thank you. But why would human beings have to use tissue paper for wrapping? What are they going to wrap with tissue paper?

In the US it is common to wrap some types of gifts, especially fragile items, fine jewelry, and some types of clothing, in decorative tissue paper before placing the items inside a gift box. The gift box may then be wrapped with a stronger decorative gift wrap and ribbons. The tissue paper may help to cushion the gift inside the box and reduce the risk of accidental damage before the recipient opens the gift.

Sometimes a few small gifts are wrapped in tissue paper and then placed in a decorative bag instead of using a box and gift paper.

[Xinfu]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Your sentences are probably fine, but I don't exactly understand them.

Tissue paper, at least in the US, is used to wrap articles.
(Facial) tissues are used to blow one's nose.
Toilet paper is used to clean up after using the toilet.
Toilets, the fixtures, are found in bathrooms/restrooms, along with a sink/wash basin and a mirror. Some restrooms offer facial tissues. All have toilet paper.
Restaurants have restrooms, equipped as described above. They offer napkins at the table, used to clean one's mouth and fingers while eating.

White collar workers work in cubicles, where they have a chair, a desk, overhead bins for storage, a light, drawers/compartments for storage under the desk and a computer on the desk beside the telephone (at a minimum).

Most people in the US have their own plentiful supplies of (facial) tissues, napkins and toilet paper, which are easily purchased at stores.
Getting them from elsewhere is probably only done by a very small portion of the population who can't afford to buy them on their own. Sorry if that offends anyone, but I'm trying to understand what the sentences mean.

facial tissue
toilet paper
napkins
cubicles
restrooms

Then is it correct to use 'tissue paper' for the thing we use to blow our noses, clean up the tabe, etc.?

-Do you have tissue papers?
-I forgot to bring tissue papers with me today.

[Rusty]

No, not in the US. That is phrasing I have never heard and would never use.

We do not use tissue paper to blow our noses. We do not use tissue paper to wipe up messes.

Apparently, looking up images of tissue paper gave you varied results. This must be because, in some people's opinions, facial tissue, toilet paper, paper towels, napkins and tissue paper can all be classified as tissue paper. Again, I have personally never heard of these various products being classified as the same thing. To me, they are all paper products, not tissue paper products.

The reason I provided names and images was so you could tell me what you mean by 'tissue paper'. Only one item, the tissue paper we use for wrapping gifts, is all I understood and I couldn't understand why you were asking what you were.

Napkins, paper towels and facial tissues are spoken of in plural form. We usually buy rolls of paper towels and toilet paper. We usually buy boxes or packages of facial tissues and napkins. The gift wrap (tissue paper) is usually bought in sheets, packaged together.

[Xinfu]

Thank you. I will think about it.

[Rusty]

Because of the way you answered, I went looking for a site that had 'tissue paper products' and found this one. It provides environmental information about the paper products that have been mentioned above, in its tabs, but, oddly enough, none of the tabs is labeled 'tissue paper'. Each paper product is listed by brand name on the lines that provide the environmental information.

I then went looking for a site that deals in 'tissue paper'. I found this one, whose sole product is tissue paper, used for wrapping gifts.

[Xinfu]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Because of the way you answered, I went looking for a site that had 'tissue paper products' and found this one. It provides environmental information about the paper products that have been mentioned above, in its tabs, but, oddly enough, none of the tabs is labeled 'tissue paper'. Each paper product is listed by brand name on the lines that provide the environmental information.

I then went looking for a site that deals in 'tissue paper'. I found this one, whose sole product is tissue paper, used for wrapping gifts.

Thank you.

[Roxerz]

Originally Posted by Xinfu

Is it correct to use the plural form here? I can find no answer from dictionaries.

-Don't take tissue papers from the cubicles. (=the place where you find toilets) They are very often dirty. If you go to restaurants, get some more tissue papers for future use. They are cleaner.

Even though your sentence is correct here, I would like to point out that it is very oddly phrased. You do a good job at avoiding double negatives but just for fluidity, rephrase it to, I cannot/can't find any answer from dictionaries. Many Americans make the mistake by saying, "I don't know nothing" but I'm a bit off topic.


I'm from Maryland but have lived in California for 5 years. From my experience, we mainly say toilet paper or TP. Tissue paper sounds very odd to me but when I hear it, I think of the stuff you wipe your face/nose if you have a cold but it is understood that it can be TP as well as I do use TP to blow my nose also. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...5L._SY300_.jpg

As for singular and plural, I believe it is singular. If you were to rip all your TP, it would be pieces of toilet paper instead of toilet papers. If you had many rolls of toilet paper, it would be many rolls of toilet paper..

[islandhogan]

again; very interesting.
Xinfu, most commonly paper is taken to be singular and plural. "Tissue paper" is a piece or several pieces. The stuff you wrap a gift in is almost always referred to as the two words "tissue paper".
The paper for your face or the other end is also tissue paper but most commonly referred as "Kleenex, facial tissue or toilet tissue, or just plain "tissue" without the adjedctives. And there are a few colorful colloquialism as well. If you were to need a piece of "facial tissue" you would be perfectly understood in any of the areas of US and Canada that I have been in to ask, "Do you have any tissue?"
Toilet paper is also sometimes referred to only as tissue. I might say, "The bathroom is out of tissue." You would be understood and it would not be an unusual use of the word tissue ( in my experience). Having used tissue in context with bathroom is the difference. If I said I need to wrap this birthday present I would not expect to be handed toilet or facial tissue.
So, in my opinion it is not wrong or unusual to say, "I forgot to bring any tissue with me." There again it would be the context. Are you using the bathroom or is your nose running? You would be understood by the context of your question. If you were wrapping presents you would say, "I forgot to bring any tissue paper with me."

[Xinfu]

Thank you.

[britmex]

We blow our noses with tissue paper in the UK... we say tissue paper (singular) but it is usually shortened to tissues (rather than tissue paper)

[Xinfu]

Originally Posted by britmex

We blow our noses with tissue paper in the UK... we say tissue paper (singular) but it is usually shortened to tissues (rather than tissue paper)

Thank you. By the way, do you mean you are a native speaker of UK English?