Netties

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Informal British slang for a toilet, especially an outdoor or basic lavatory facility in older houses
2. Dated British slang referring to lavatories, the plural form of a casual word for a toilet room
3. Casual British term for toilets, particularly the older, simpler kind found in homes or outbuildings

Etymology: "Netties" is the plural of "netty," a British informal word for a toilet, most often a communal or outdoor one. The origin of the noun is genuinely uncertain. One theory holds that it is a corruption of "necessary," the old polite term for a privy, a suggestion that fits the word's euphemistic purpose. Another links it to French "nettoyer," meaning "to cleanse," which would make a toilet the place where one cleans up. A third looks to Italian "gabinetto," also meaning "toilet," though the connection is hard to prove. A more familiar explanation is that "netty" was formed from "net," meaning neat or elegant, with the diminutive suffix "-y" added, giving something like "a neat little place." Its other possible source, the textile "net," is also a candidate, but none of these routes can be confirmed. The plural "netties" is simply the regular form of the noun, used for more than one such facility.

Synonyms: toilet, lavatory, loo