Another useful lesson learned today. When buying a replacement flushing arm for one's toilet, be sure to check that the one you're buying is for the right kind of flusher. Do not, like I did, buy a front-handled flushing arm for a side-handled toilet. You can make do with it for a day or so rather than lift the tank lid every time you need to flush. However, it looks really weird and is definitely not suitable for long-term use. I was so busy making sure that it looked like the piece would fit my toilet, I didn't even think about the angle of the flushing arm. Who knew?