Australians call portable toilets Portaloos, but also use terms like mobile dunny, long drop, or simply "the toilet," with dunny being a common slang for any toilet, especially older or outdoor ones, though some find it a bit cheeky.
In the United States, you can expect the use of porta-potty and porta-John. Locally, Aussies often use Dunny or, if you're in rural areas, maybe even Thunderbox.
If you ever find yourself looking for another word for porta potty, you can refer to this list: Port a privy (a nod to the sense of privacy this device offers in a public setting) Port toilet (this synonym emphasizes the “portable” part but ditches the childish “potty” part) Porta john.
The most common Australian slang for toilet is dunny, especially for outdoor or older toilets, while loo is used more generally for indoor toilets, similar to UK usage. Other terms include thunderbox (often for rural/outdoor) and more informal/humorous options like throne, facilities, or the crapper, though "dunny" remains iconic, notes.
In Britain, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Zealand, the terms in use are "public toilet", "public lavatory" (abbreviated "lav"), "public convenience", and more informally, "public loo".
Bog. The slang word bog first appeared in the late eighteenth century, originally as “boghouse.” It most likely evolved from earlier British slang linked to defecation. Although informal, bog remains one of the most commonly used casual alternatives to toilets in the UK.
Woop Woop is used to refer to a place in the middle of nowhere. People use it to signify that a location is far away, unfamiliar to them, and difficult to get to.
A rather more vulgar word for toilet is 'crapper'. First appearing in 1932, crapper became a popular alternative word for toilet thanks to the Thomas Crapper & Co Ltd company that manufactured toilets.
In Australian English the word dunny is used informally for toilet. It derives from the British dialect word dunnekin meaning 'privy' (from dung 'excrement' and ken 'house'). It was originally used in Australian English, from the 1930s, to refer to an unsewered outside toilet.
The difference between bathroom and toilet? In Australia (and probably in other English speaking countries) bathroom and toilet are interchangeable.
Variety of Names
Portable toilets go by many names, including porta-potty, porta-john, honey bucket, WC, porta-loo, Johnny-on-the-spot, and more, depending on location and preference.
"Skibidi" is a nonsensical slang term from the viral YouTube series Skibidi Toilet, meaning it can signify something cool, bad, weird, or just be used as random gibberish, often to express absurdity or as a conversational filler, especially among Gen Alpha. Its meaning is highly contextual, derived from the absurdist videos featuring singing heads emerging from toilets in a war against electronic-headed humans.
The Many Names for Portable Toilets
Porta-john. Honey bucket (or Honeypot) Porta-loo. Johnny-on-the-spot.
Here are 5 common Aussie slang words/phrases: G'day (hello), Mate (friend), Arvo (afternoon), No worries (no problem/you're welcome), and Barbie (barbecue), with many Aussies shortening words (like Brekkie for breakfast, Servo for gas station) and using colourful terms for everyday things.
In Aussie English a dunny can be any toilet.
: toilet. especially : one outdoors : privy.
Sexual intercourse. Root. Sexual intercourse, similar to the British word 'Shag'. Can also be used as a verb.
Mum bans the girls from saying the word 'dunny' because it's not a word the Queen of England would use, but the kids try and trick her into saying it anyway. This morning Bluey and Bingo have crawled into bed with Mum and Dad.
Common Australian slang for a girl includes "Sheila" (older, sometimes dated or slightly derogatory), "chick," or just using general terms like "mate," "gal," or "lass," with context and tone being important, but "girl" is still widely used; some slang, like "moll," can refer to a girlfriend or a promiscuous woman, while "bogan" describes an unsophisticated person.
In many Amish homes, rags are a common toilet paper alternative. These rags are typically old clothes that have been worn out. After simple processing, they become practical cleaning tools.
The word "Dunny" is Australian slang for toilet or outhouse. Technically "Dunny" is not a rude word but not many people on average say the word Dunny.
The Birth Of The Please Don't Do Coke In The Bathroom Sign
2014 saw former knitting store manager, Jessica Kleinmann, open Lyman's Tavern in Washington DC's Columbia Heights. She 'wanted something cute' to hang in its bathroom. And what could be cuter than not doing cocaine?
"Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, Oi, Oi, Oi!" is a popular Australian sports chant, a variation of the British "Oggy, Oggy, Oggy" cheer, used to express national pride and support for Australian teams, with "Ozzy" being slang for "Australian" and "Oi, Oi, Oi" a general interjection for enthusiasm or attention, much like "USA!". The chant involves one group shouting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!" and the crowd responding "Oi, Oi, Oi!".
The birds have also come to be regarded as a problem species in Victoria as a result of their scavenging activities, scattering rubbish from tips and bins in the process, and earning the widespread nickname "bin chicken". They are even known to snatch sandwiches from picnickers.
"Hoo-ha" (or hoo-hah) slang means a noisy fuss, commotion, or excitement, often over something trivial, but it can also euphemistically refer to female genitalia. It's an informal term for a "brouhaha," "hullabaloo," or general to-do, signifying uproar or fuss, but sometimes used to describe a state of arousal or, less commonly, male anatomy, though its primary use is for commotion or female anatomy.