why do yanks ask for the bathroom or comfort station when they want the toilet?

Answer 1

Cultural differences.
In British English (the original ) the word toilette, was borrowed from the French, in the late 16th century, and the word in french meaning "to clean"..
When the immigrants came to America, they somehow, changed the terms for bowel and bladder hygiene for other, more intriguing cloister of words (Water Closet? is there really one around? Rest room? who on earth would dear to rest in there?)
Comfort is another example af galicism imported by England with the arrival of Huguenotes running into Southern England (Sussex, Kent,) meaning something cosy, easy to use....However in Britain, no one uses the term Comfort Room or anything near that....However they would understand what you are looking for, if you ask..
Germans, also imported the word Toilet, and nowadays Toiletten are the rooms designed for tha purpose....It is more akin to the right word....and stayed there
The real word for the dumper then its the English one.:..Toilet.....Believe it ot not from the French Toilette...
Well what do we know---
By the way, I am German,,

Answer 2

I had to live in England for 3 years when I was very young and I had to attend British schools where they made us wear a uniform and all, and I always heard us being called yanks, and could never understand why. Anyway, the answer to your question is that in the United States we are taught manners and asking someone for a toilet sounds bad. We don't just ask for a bathroom, and I have never heard it called a comfort station, but it is usually called a restroom. If you have ever been to the US and were at the airport after a long plane trip, I am sure you went into a room called a "restroom" rather than a "toilet."

Answer 3

well if there are no baths in the room, it seems incorrect. the term Comfort Stations is for road travelers and a common term for those who use RVs.

in the Southern part of the USA, we commonly use the term Restroom in public and sometimes, Men or Ladies Room. no one here ever says Toilet because it's considered crass.

we consider anything Northern to be Yankee. please don't include us Southerners as Yanks.

Answer 4

In the U.K most people ask for 'the toilet'. This is considered the norm and not seen as crass in anyway. The word 'lavatory' gets used sometimes, but is considered as a more old fashioned term. Lots of people still ask where the nearest 'lav' is though. Other coloquial terms you often here are 'loo', 'the bog' and occasionly, depending on the company of course, 'crapper' and 'shitter'.

Answer 5

I think they probably consider 'bathroom' to be more polite than 'toilet' (less emphasis on bodily functions...), but I've never heard 'comfort station' before and can only imagine that someone would say that as a joke.

Answer 6

As a Yank, I can assure you I've never asked for the "comfort station".

Answer 7

We also ask for the rest room (sounds like a place to sit and relax)
I visited Canada last year and their term sounds better. Wash room. Maybe they wash their hands after using the toilet all the time. From the way people are where I work I'd say only 40% of Americans wash their hands after and 80% flush when they are done.

Answer 8

I've never heard "comfort station" before, but pretty much everyone calls it a "bathroom" here in the US.

I can't say why, as there are obviously not baths in all of them. Just a colloquialism, really.

"Comfort station", though, would make me giggle.

Hope this helps!

Answer 9

I suppose for the same reason we use the word "toilet" which actually comes from the French word "toilette" which has nothing whatsoever to do with body functions.
The correct word is lavatory or water closet. My father would go ape if we used "toilet". I suppose to some people it just sounds less ... well... basic!

Answer 10

I cannot improve on Sandy S's answer, lavatory is the correct word.

PS To Jill. You were fortunate to be called a Yank, the cockney slang is 'septic': Septic Tank = Yank.