little boys' room
3
7.7
- noun
- /ˈlɪtəl bɔɪz ruːm/
- Informal
:
baño de hombres
- He quickly dashed to the little boys' room after finishing his drink.
- go to the little boys' room
Examples
-
"Domingo has to go to the little boys' room," I said.
Fiction book (1991) -
Excuse me, I need to find the little boys' room before the meeting starts.
-
The teacher told the students to use the little boys' room during the break.
Synonyms
78
1.2
A room with toilets and sinks for men to use
30
8.0
A small room with a toilet in older British houses
3
6.1
A small room with a toilet for people to use
1
3.2
A room with toilets for men
1
9.9
A slang word for a simple outdoor toilet often found at campsites or gas stations
1
1.0
A small room with a toilet for people to use
A small private room for using the toilet
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal parts ('little' + 'boys' + 'room') clearly suggest a room for boys, so a learner who knows the words can infer a physical space associated with boys. However, the phrase is often used euphemistically/humorously to mean a men's/boys' restroom and that pragmatic/euphemistic extension and register is not fully predictable from the constituents alone, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Little boys' room creates a simple, childlike picture: a little boys' room where children go. People use this polite, funny image instead of saying 'men's bathroom', so today the phrase means 'men's room'.