British Definition: slang word for toilet, lavatory, or water closet. (noun)
American Translation: restroom or bathroom.
Example: After enjoying several pints at his favorite neighborhood watering hole, The Pig and Whistle, Prince Charles was relieved to find that the pub’s LOO was finally available.
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While Americans tend to discreetly ask for assistance in finding their way to the ‘restroom’ or the ‘bathroom’, the British prefer the no-nonsense approach and simply come right out and ask for the ‘Toilet’ or the ‘Loo’. The City of London claims that it ‘probably has the highest concentration of toilets in a square mile in the country’ while London’s Westminster City Council has won a number of awards in the annual ‘Loo of the Year’ competition. Visitors to London will discover a growing number of Automatic Public Toilets open 24 hours a day which are automatically cleaned and disinfected after each use and cost an average of 20 pence per use for a maximum of 20 minutes. The Mayor of London himself supports the ‘Open London’ toilet scheme, which promotes businesses that allow the public to use customer toilet facilities – without the need to make a purchase. Public conveniences in London are even being transformed to prohibit the growing problem of anti-social street urination with the introduction of ‘pop-up toilets’. The urinals are stored beneath the pavement during the day, and then remotely controlled to rise hydraulically and become visible at night providing no excuse for those who have had one too many at the local pub…