“The powder room”. Or what do you call it?

In my all-girls school, in the 50s, we used to say that we were “going to see George!” No-one seemed to think it a strange expression, and I have no idea where it came from.

Usually loo although I have been known to say Thunderbox.

Thank you all for giving me a laugh. Just remembered my Scottish aunties saying “going to the Cludgie”. No idea about the derivation or if it was a family word.

Googled Cludgie - a place to go to urinate and defecate. No one has used those words! Isn’t the English language interesting?

We have always said "Go to the loo".
However, for 18 months as a child I went to a private (fee paying) school. The 1st time I asked if I could go to the loo, there was a long, shocked silence. Then the teacher declaimed in a thunderous voice "We do NOT use that term. Polite people ask to 'be excused!'"

In America if someone asks where you are going we would say bathroom if at home, because this small room had a bathtub, a lavatory for hand washing and a toilet for whatever. In public they are called restrooms. In the work world we say I'm going across the hall, because we were required to tell why we weren't doing our job.

In Canada is it almost always bathroom or washroom (because yes there is a bath or shower in the same room), or if you are out you would ask for the ladies room.

I don't feel the need to announce it, but if I must, then I will 'step out for a moment' or just excuse myself.

House of Easement

Oh my goodness, this has made me laugh; all the different names for what in Yorkshire was occasionally called 'the midden'.
Also called 'the stone house' in some areas.

As it was outside, 'I'm just going to nip outside,' was a common phrase.

One expression I absolutely loathe (and can hardly bear to write) is 'going for a slash'. Used by uncouth youth whose mouths I immediately want to wash out.

I would be ashamed of my working-class self if I were caught using Mitford's 'U' words. Pretentious nonsense.
Like most posters, I say 'toilet' or 'loo'.

But perhaps the biggest laugh here was, yet again, the posturing to be "right" and of course totally off the point of the thread, as if we were all still in school and needed correcting.
Be careful all we'll all be given detention!

My husband says I’m going to strain the greens

That's a corker!

When I was a youngster my grandad was often to be found in 'the privy', sailors asked to use 'the head' whilst soldiers visited 'the khazi', but my nana 'paid a call' to the 'throne room'.

Years ago a lady who I used to work with used to say she was just 'Going to see if her hat's on straight'
Blimey, I remember putting a penny in the toilet door slot BradfordLass.
When we were little and going on an outing, every time mum always used to tell us "Go and have a wee". "Don't want to go" "Well go and try she'd say.
I think my nan used the term, going to the privy.
In our house, it's the bog, toilet, loo, spend a penny.

THE TOILET.

In a pub in Australia the toilets were marked "Olivia Newton" and "Elton".

My uncle used to say anyone want the bathroom before me, we knew he was going to be a long time.

A farm shop cafe near here has Ducks and Drakes on the two doors to the loos.

Toilet O'R Loo
If I'm at a meeting we have a 'comfort stop' [or 'break']

On a recent visit to George Washington’s residence, Mount Vernon, we were amused to see the outdoor loos were called ‘Necessaries’. ?

Personally, I would say I need to use the bathroom. My late mum always asked us if we needed to ‘spend’, even when we were grown up!

I thought the French’s word l’eau rhymed with toe? So how does it morph into loo? Anyway that’s what I say .My husband says lavatory and is rather annoyed that our grandchildren call it the toilet . Re American expression going to the bathroom, Imwas once in the middle of the German countryside when the American who was giving us a lift said he needed to stop to go to the bathroom!

I used to know someone who was so squeamish/twee or excessively what she thought 'proper', she would say that their dog had 'gone to the toilet on the kitchen floor'.

As a child we were taught to say lavatory - toilet was frowned upon - but I never did like lavatory - and it still conjures up that cold smallest room with hard Bronco paper!

We go to the loo. I once heard a revolting phrase "just going to drop the kids off at the pool". Yuk!

Interesting fact: They used to use urine to tan leather hides. Poor people use to take their pots in the mornings and sell their urine to the tanners. The expression "Haven't got a pot to p***s in was denoting a person so poor that they didn't even have a receptacle in which to catch their urine to sell it.

Love it!

I had an auntie who used to say she was“going to the tinkle shop”!
My grandma would “spend a penny”
I just say I’m going to the loo or for a wee. Always ask the grandchildren do you need a wee or a poo??

I just say ‘I need the loo’! My East End hubby has a ‘Check on the weather’ or is ‘Popping in the office’! Never worked in ine in his life!