going to the restroom
Visiting the facilities
Going to the restroom is a polite euphemism for urinating or defecating, or for excusing oneself to do so: I'll be right back—I'm just going to the restroom.
The phrase works whether or not an actual restroom is involved; someone might say it before stepping behind a bush.
In American English, restroom is the standard public-space term, making this the default polite version of taking a piss or taking a shit.
- urinationReleasing fluid waste
- number oneFirst in rank
- toiletWaste disposal fixture
- euphemismMild substitute for bluntness
- see a man about a horseEuphemism for leaving discreetly
defecation · number two · sink · handwashing · wash my hands · privacy · plumbing · bidet · digestion · bladder control · public restrooms · stall · excretion · bowel movement · nature calls · hand dryer · soap dispenser · sanitation