Table of Contents
Loo. Despite being a very British word for toilet, ‘loo’ is actually derived from the French phrase ‘guardez l’eau’, which means ‘watch out for the water’. Over time, it became loo and was applied to the toilet itself.
Where did the term the loo come from?
The word comes from nautical terminology, loo being an old-fashioned word for lee. The standard methinks it comes from the nautical pronunciation (in British English) of leeward is looward. Early ships were not fitted with toilets but the crew would urinate over the side of the vessel.
Why is a loo called a John?
Where does the name “the john” come from? We’ll get the basic etymology out of the way: “John” as slang for toilet probably derived from “jakes” or “jacks,” medieval English terms for what was then a small, smelly loo inside the house if you were very fancy and outside the house if you were slightly less so.
Is loo a slang word?
“Loo” is, of course, slang, primarily British, for the toilet, restroom or bathroom (or whatever your favorite euphemism might be). The origin of “loo” has been hotly, and often quite creatively, debated since the word first appeared.
Why do the British call a toilet a loo?
Loo. Despite being a very British word for toilet, ‘loo’ is actually derived from the French phrase ‘guardez l’eau’, which means ‘watch out for the water’. The British soon adopted this phrase, but as with any phrase it changed once it crossed the border to become ‘gardy-loo’.
Why is a bathroom called a restroom?
The term restroom derived from the fact that in early 1900s through to the middle of the century up-scale restaurants, theatres and performing facilities would often have comfortable chairs or sofas located within or in a room directly adjacent to the actual toilet and sink facilities, something which can be seen in.
What is slang for toilet?
loo (British, informal) bog (slang) I’m reading it on the bog. gents or ladies. can (US, Canadian, slang).
What do old people call the bathroom?
Privy is a very old word for what we’d call the bathroom, with it earliest citation in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) from 1225. The word privy comes from the Old French privé, “intimate friendly; a private place.” No matter how friendly, privies were often outside, and so chamber pots were used instead.
Is loo a posh word?
Yes, the humble toilet has been deemed too common for posh people. According to Hanson, the word’s origins come from the French word ‘toilette’ which is used to describe someone’s appearance. You really wouldn’t want to look like a toilet would you? Loo or lavatory are much more acceptable.
What do the British call a bathroom?
In British English, “bathroom” is a common term but is typically reserved for private rooms primarily used for bathing; a room without a bathtub or shower is more often known as a “WC”, an abbreviation for water closet, “lavatory”, or “loo”. Other terms are also used, some as part of a regional dialect.
Why is a toilet called a dunny?
The dunny was originally any outside toilet. In cities and towns the pan-type dunny was emptied by the dunny man, who came round regularly with his dunny cart. Dunny can now be used for any toilet. The word comes from British dialect dunnekin meaning an ‘earth closet, (outside) privy’ from dung + ken ‘house’.
What is a female toilet called?
A female urinal is a urinal designed for the female anatomy to allow for ease of use by women and girls. Unisex urinals are also marketed by various companies, and can be used by both sexes. Female and unisex urinals are much less common than male urinals (often assumed by the term urinal).
Why are there no toilet seats in Italy?
Apparently, the toilet seats are there originally but, then, they break. The seats break because people stand on them. People stand on them because they are not kept clean enough to sit on. Either the proprietors decide there’s no point in continuing the cycle, so they consign their toilet to the ranks of the seatless.
Why is a toilet called a Carsey?
Carsey also referred to a den or brothel. It is presumably derived from the Italian casa for house, with the spelling influenced by similar sound to khaki. Khazi is now most commonly used in the city of Liverpool in the UK, away from its cockney slang roots.
What is toilet called in USA?
In a public place, the most common term is restroom, though bathroom, washroom, men’s/women’s room, and occasionally lavatory are also heard.
Why is it called comfort room?
CR or comfort room was a term originally used in the United States with the Oxford English Dictionary noting that its earliest report was in the Santa Fe Daily New Mexico and the word’s original meaning, “a room in a public building or workplace furnished with amenities such as facilities for resting, personal hygiene, Nov 29, 2017.
What is a fancy word for bathroom?
In this page you can discover 29 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for bathroom, like: lavatory, head, can, privy, shower, commode, en-suites, john, bath, restroom and sudatory.
What is a polite way to say poop?
The correct medical terms are faeces (feces in the US), or stool(s). Stool(s) tends to be the term used by doctors. The medical term for going to the toilet (bathroom) is to defaecate/defecate (same thing, just a variation in spelling) or defecating, or less formally, “opening your bowels”.
Is Dunny a rude word?
The word “Dunny” is Australian slang for toilet or outhouse. Technically “Dunny” isn’t a rude word but not many people on average say the word dunny.
Do British people say pee?
Moreover, Brits have an even greater number of words to describe the act of urinating, including the following: having a slash; breaking the seal; spending a penny; having a wee; draining the lizard; having a piddle; having a tinkle; pointing the pink pistol at the porcelain firing range; and watering the flowers.
