Editing my story: a scatological impasse

I think your editor was probably just being picky, which is fine since that's what editors are paid for, right? As an international reader, though, I would personally argue against using both of those phrases as non-Americans might not recognise or understand them. I'm not familiar enough with BusinessWeek to know who your target audience is; of course if you were writing for an American edition of the magazine then I suppose it would be perfectly acceptable.

As Nick Denton once said to me in an IM when I wondered why we like blogging so:

"no editors"

I take no issue with your original sentence. But let's look at your editor's opinion as a blessing, for it led you to write a blog entry that included the phrase "signs of lower intestinal forebodings". Not only do you make a good point, but you were able to bring a hilarious anecdote to your readers. When something perplexing, annoying, or disturbing happens to a writer, at least it makes for great material, expecially in the blogosphere (giving you the last laugh, in my opinion). I'd like to hear someone pooh-pooh that idea.

nice perspective into people perception!