Irish Slang For Toilet (Answered!)

The Irish call toilets the jacks. This is really the only uniquely Irish slang term for toilet. They may also use some British slang terms, such as loo or bog, but to a much lesser extent. In Irish Gaelic speaking parts of Ireland, it might be referred to as leithras, although this is more a standard word than outright slang.

The toilet is something most of us would rather spend as little time talking about as possible.

When we do talk about it, we’d much rather use a euphemism or slang term than just call it by its proper name.

The Irish have some great slang in general, so what slang terms do they use to refer to the toilet?

So, your best bet in terms of a slang term for toilet is simply jacks.

This will be universally understood across Ireland to mean the toilet, and is the clearest, simplest, if perhaps not the politest, way to refer to the toilet.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What do the Irish call the toilet?

For the most part, the Irish slang term for the toilet is “the jacks” or just “jacks”.

This is perhaps the only Irish slang term for the toilet that isn’t more widely used in other countries.

It’s rather similar to the American slang term “the john,” but you’re unlikely to be understood using the term “jacks” in North America or even indeed in Britain.

“He’s just gone to the jacks,” for instance.

On the other hand, there are a couple of other slang terms for toilet that are popular.

The politest is loo.

This, as you may know, is also very common across Britain, and this is ultimately how it has passed on to the Irish.

“I’m just going to use the loo,” for instance.

This is the one to use if you aren’t particularly sure about the company you’re in. It’s polite and acceptable to use.

On the other hand, a less polite way to refer to the toilet for the Irish is bog.

Again, this one is more common in Britain, but is widely used in Ireland, too.

“There are bogs over there,” for example. I wouldn’t use this one if you aren’t in familiar and relaxed company!

Finally, as I mentioned, some parts of the country still use or are actively reclaiming Gaelic words.

I’ll get into this more later, but Gaelic words injected into English speech may be considered slang on that level.

So, where does the term “jacks” come from?

Why do the Irish call the toilet the jacks?

The history of the slang term “jacks” is really fascinating, and though the term was originally used in Tudor England, it came to take on entirely its own meaning later on.

The term seems to have become popular in Ireland thanks to the enterprising businessman, Jack Power, who lived in the 1800s.

Supposedly a father of 38 children, Mr Power had a task on his hands managing simultaneous bathroom visits.

Thus, he is credited with inventing the first multi-toilet cubicles, so that his family could more efficiently use the toilet at the same time.

He patented his invention immediately, began selling it off, and had at first insisted on naming it the “multi-poo”.

For whatever reason, this name didn’t catch on!

After this, toilet cubicles became commonplace in Ireland and eventually spread to the rest of the world.

These were originally referred to as “jacks” simply because of their association with Jack Power, and the name stuck.

Today, you’ll hear the term “jacks” across virtually all of Ireland to refer to the toilet.

It might also be spelled “jax” or “jack’s”. But they all mean the same thing.

This one is pretty uniquely Irish, but the Irish also use a number of shared slang terms.

Why do the Irish say bog?

Bog is, as I’ve said, more typically associated with British slang, but it is most likely just as common in Ireland, too.

Irish English speakers will certainly all understand what you mean by this term.

“Bog” most likely originally referred to the fact that toilets would be simply deep holes, often dug into bogs or swampy parts of the land.

This term originates sometime in the 1500s in England, and this was the same century in which the English Crown imposed English on Ireland.

So, it likely spread to Irish slang in the intervening years.

Why do the Irish say loo?

The same is true of “loo”.

This one, though, is far more recent, originating sometime in the early 20^th Century.

Again, it spread to Irish English from trade and communication between the two peoples, as well as simply through films and television.

What is the Irish Gaelic for toilet?

Finally, you might sometimes hear the Irish call the toilet the leithras, which is just the Irish Gaelic term for the lavatory.

Irish Gaelic is still spoken in large parts of the country, and indeed there is a conscious revival going on to get the language taught and spoken again.

So, if you ever hear this strange word, you know it just means toilet.

By far the most common Irish slang term for toilet is jacks, then.

Indeed, this is really the only one still in common use which is uniquely Irish.

Other terms are used, but they are far more heavily associated with British slang than they are with Irish slang.

That said, any of the terms we’ve looked at here, with the possible exception of the Gaelic term, will be understood across Ireland.

More in Irish Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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