Why do Americans refer to a toilet as 'the bathroom'?

Question

It probably doesn't have a bath in it and if it did, would they pee in it?

Answer 1

probably for the same reason they call a handbag a purse and trousers, pants.

They wouldn't want to be seen as too British would they...

No seriously, in days of your the toilet was in the bath house, hence the name

Answer 2

I'm amazed that most of the American answers to this question think it's because "in America, the toilet is in the same room as the bath". What do they think we do in the UK??? Of course we also have bathrooms with toilets and baths in!!!!
In the UK we don't tend to use "bathroom" as a euphemism for toilet when referring to public conveniences.
I usually ask the waiter to direct me to "the Ladies", but I also sometimes use the word "bathroom" - sometimes I get funny looks, or it seems they don't understand it. I would never ask "where are the toilets?", and at home or with friends I use the word "loo." I've never heard anyone in the UK say "water closet". In French lessons at school we were taught that French people call toilets "Le W.C." In Paris, trying to find the toilets at the Louvre, I asked a French member of staff "Ou est le W.C.?" (Where is the W.C.?) He didn't understand what I was asking!!

Answer 3

Why do English and French refer to the bathroom as the W.C.? There is no closet filled with water in the toilet. A closet is where you put clothes, not pooh and pee. In a bathroom, there is often a bath and a toilet. Bathroom sounds nicer than toiletroom. It brings up the image of Grecian nudes, not farts and stink. Toiletroom would be vulgar.

Answer 4

a toilet is the porcelain fixture in the corner of the bathroom.

A bathroom is a room that contains a toilet, a sink, and a bathtub and/or shower. If the room is missing the bathtub/shower, it is called a half bath.

Hence a house listing 2 1/2 baths has three rooms with toilets, two of which also have a bathtub and/or shower.

Answer 5

Its because most americans toilets have both the bath and the toilet itself so the best to call it is the bathroom.

Answer 6

I've often wondered this. Fine, call it a bathroom if there's a bath in it, but why are the toilets called bathrooms in restaurants and hotel lobbies too?
If they call the toilet the bathroom, what do they call the bathroom?

Answer 7

Americans, and Canadians ( cause I'm Canadians) refer to it as the bathroom.. because in our homes, the toilet is located in the room with the shower and the bath.. and it's nicer to say (in a public place where there is obviously no bathtub in the "toilet room" ) that we are going to the bathroom than to say " I'm going to go poop in the toilet located in the public lavatory."

Answer 8

I say "rest room" because it is more polite than actually saying what will be done in the room. Saying bathroom is much the same. At home the room does contain a bath tub and one does bath there. Saying "where is the peeing room?" would be disgusting and crass.

Answer 9

Because in an American household the toilet is in the same room with the tub or shower, and bath room sounds better than the toilet room.

Answer 10

They refer to the room the toilet is located, which usually includes bath facilities or a shower.
Even if it doesn't have a tub or shower, it most likely will have a sink which constitutes "bath". (To bathe your hands after using the toilet.)

Answer 11

Good question. Maybe it's beacuse most American homes have bathtubs and showers inthe same room as the toilets. Sometimes it is called a restroom - like when you are out at a restaurant or something. Why do Britons call it a loo?