I was always under the impression that in the US, public places for defecation and urination were called restrooms. Also semi-public ones, for example in companies or universities or schools.

But in the transgender debacle these places seem to be called bathrooms.

So which is it? Perhaps it is not the same all over the US?

The wiki article on Bathroom bills talks about restrooms. Which seems a bit contradictory.

Both. Alternatively, bestrooms.

Bestrooms? Really?

I don't think I ever saw anything but "restroom" or "wash room" on the doors of these rooms. In the US.

Bathroom or washroom.

The jacks.

Veida wrote:Bestrooms? Really?

I wish, but not really.

But yes, both are used. Washroom as well.

So no bog standard name?

Not as far as I know. Only place I've been that has a standard name is the military, and for my branch that was the head. Cause the shitter used to be at the head of the ship so the wind would blow the smelly smells forward off the thing.

Jesus H. Christ! All this pussyfooting around what to call a BOG!

Geddit? It's a fucking BOG!

Rest room generally always at a service station or restaurant - tho men tend to ask for Mens room ...not sure what the fems do.

Bathroom is usually a larger space with shower etc. but kids tend towards it. Washroom seems ambiguous but lots use it even me.

Loo used, water closet not much that I know of .....toilet for some - no euphemism there....I've been places in the states where they look at you funny over "where's the restroom"

Australians get creative as usual

Toilet..
Dunny..
Crapper..
Thunderbox..
My son loves to call it a S h i t s h a c k .
or s hitter..
Loo.
Can..
but in the schools they try to limit it to Toilet...

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/inde ... 043AAZHzbc

Forgot about john...

Lots of info for the scatologically minded here

http://english.stackexchange.com/questi ... oilet-room

From the site...

As an aside, I've always found it amusing that Canadians use the genteelism “washroom” to avoid the word “toilet” but then the word “toilet” is always there on the sign due the requirement for French translations. – nohat♦ Jan 9 '11 at 18:29

this is true

Bathroom and restroom here, and the words are entirely interchangeable in every day use. Lavatory was used at schools when I was growing up. Of course we have plenty of slang words for bathrooms.

Boyle wrote:Not as far as I know. Only place I've been that has a standard name is the military, and for my branch that was the head. Cause the shitter used to be at the head of the ship so the wind would blow the smelly smells forward off the thing.

I was making a pun but I don't think it crosses the Atlantic well. Bog is slang for the loo.

The head comes from the Royal Navy's name for the W.C.

I am unable to understand how either word actually describes a toilet. You don't go there to rest, and it doesn't have a bath in it.

Oh look at Miss Moneybags over here not bathing in the toilet. I bet you get your water from a faucet, too.

We get water from taps over here mate. We go to the toilet, lav, khazi, bog, loo, crapper, or shitter depending on where you are from.
You don't want to go near what actually doing a toilet gets called by different people.

In my area, it is called "bathroom" if the room with the toilet has a shower or tub in it. It is called a "powder room" if the room with the toilet in it has a sink and mirror in it, but no shower or tub. If the toilet is alone in small room it is called a "water closet" or WC

Water closets are common in master suites (whose en suite bathrooms invariably contain double vanities, almost always have whirlpool , deep soaking tubs, and large walk in showers with several massaging, soaking, and hand-held shower heads) where bathing facilities are shared by couples. The WC provides privacy for one partner while another uses the sink, tub or shower. Presumably washing or bathing in a state of undress does not require privacy, but defecating and urinating does.

Fallible wrote:I am unable to understand how either word actually describes a toilet. You don't go there to rest, and it doesn't have a bath in it.

Bathrooms in homes usually do have bath tubs or shower stalls. Restrooms at buildings other than homes usually don't, but if you call it a bathroom, usually no one gets pedantic about it, they know what you mean. You can call it a shitter too, and a slew of other slang words work, but that's usually among non-strangers. I'm not going to ask the secretary at a real estate officce where the hopper is, for instance. I could, but their face may turn red.
some people call it the toilet as well, but not me, because a. I'm civilized, and b. it's a room containing a toilet. I could just call it the sink and be on just as firm ground. Why not call it the windowfucking sill?

Boyle wrote:Oh look at Miss Moneybags over here not bathing in the toilet. I bet you get your water from a faucet, too.

Tap. A tap.