Lady from the U.S. here. Here's what I think when I hear these words: Loo - A British person is talking to me. Bathroom - Normal Restroom - Normal Washroom - A person from the South is talking to me Toilet - A British person is talking to me and I don't like that they said "toilet!" I think there are other people from the U.S. that don't like the word either. I don't know what our issue is with it, I guess it's because for us toilet is the actual thing you sit on, not the room where said thing is located. Also, this has made me laugh before because I've heard British people say, "I'm in the toilet," and I think, "Oh my goodness, are you actually IN the toilet? Did you fall in? Do you need help?" Then I remember that they're just saying they're in the bathroom.

Hi Kevin, For a native US English speaker, “bathroom” is the room in a home where someone goes to, ah, urinate and defecate (if we describe those actions formally!). Maybe there will be a bathtub in the room, maybe not. But there will be a toilet. In US English “restroom” is the name for the (often larger) room for those actions in a public place like a restaurant or an airport. Maybe somebody can rest/relax a little when they go in there for a few minutes (maybe they are having a business lunch and it’s stressful, or something), but the point of the room is to do the actions mentioned. We use these words in US English because culturally Americans don’t like talking very directly about this topic. Hope that helps :)

You may be OK for British English, but in America (where most native English speakers live), you'd be totally lost :D

And for a British English take on this... Loo: We use this a lot for public toilets, referring to them as 'the loos' (in my experience, they are very rarely fancy!) We also use it at home if we're talking about the act of 'going to the loo' or 'needing the loo' which in most cases is actually referring to needing to go to the bathroom to use the toilet. Which brings us to... Bathroom: The room at home with a toilet, sink, bath and/or shower, but not necessarily a bath... still a bathroom! Restroom/Washroom: Public toilets in America. We don't really use those terms here. They kind of sound more polite though, and I thought we were meant to be the polite ones :D Toilet: The actual object your bum goes on, but we also say 'the toilets' when referring to public toilets, just like 'loos'. :)

As per the previous comments, I'd say the difference is largely regional. Loo - I've only ever heard this in the UK or from British speakers. Bathroom - The most common term in Canada. Also a less formal term in the US referring to a room in someone's house. As the name implies, this room once contained a bathtub and still often does, but not necessarily. Restroom - Refers specifically a room outside of one's house, for example in a restaurant or gas station. This term is also more common in the US than in Canada. When I hear someone ask for a restroom I know they're probably from the US. Washroom - A typically Canadian term, often not recognised in the US. Toilet - this is a very international term and the safest bet when travelling in non-English speaking countries. If you ask for the toilet in the US, people may give you a dirty look because there it refers to the actual thing you poop into but in most other parts of the world it refers to the room. A few other related terms... WC - Like loo, you're more likely to hear this in the UK or countries with close ties to the UK. Powder Room - Used by ladies to be extra polite. If you happen to visit the Philippines, ask for the Comfort Room. Latrine - This has military conations and may be outdoors. Outhouse - This is a basic toilet, or pit latrine, housed in a small shack or shelter outside of a house. Long Drop (my favourite) - Same as outhouse, this term is common in parts of New England. Other terms meaning the same thing are dunny (most common in Australia) and privy / netty (most common in northern parts of UK). Porta Potty - One of those portable plastic toilets you find at concerts and construction sites. And a few colloquial terms that you might not want to use when talking to your girlfriend... Shitter, shithouse, crapper, pisser, throne, john, thunderbox, stool pool, facebook chair, Ron Jeremy. And one final very specific term: khazi. I've only ever heard this term in Liverpool.