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MustAsk Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Men's room

Hi,
What are you doing in a men's room?
What are you doing in the men's room?

What are you doing in a men's bathroom? (public place)
What are you doing in the men's bathroom? (public place)

Is there any difference between 'the' and a''?

Also,
What are you doing in the men's? <-- Is this OK?

Thanks!
  

Top answer

Names for this public place vary, often regionally. ' Your examples sound like you are a man who suddenly encounters a woman in such a place. To m, the natural article is 'the', because you are thinking of the specific men's room that you are both in.

— Clive

  • Names for this public place vary, often regionally.
  • ' Your examples sound like you are a man who suddenly encounters a woman in such a place.
  • To m, the natural article is 'the', because you are thinking of the specific men's room that you are both in.
  • Clive
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3 Answers
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Names for this public place vary, often regionally.
eg men's, men's room, men's bathroom, men's washroom.'

Your examples sound like you are a man who suddenly encounters a woman in such a place.
To m, the natural article is 'the', because you a
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CliveNames for this public place vary, often regionally.
Not just regionally, but depending on which part of the English-speaking world is the context.

"Men's room", "bathroom" and "washroom" are terms used in the USA and Canada to refer to a room with a toilet in it, but, not in England and the rest of the UK.

The word bathroom just
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Anonymous "men's room" and "washroom" have no meaning in the UK and would cause blank stares followed by a question to find out what you mean.
Even if very few of us speakers of BrE use men's room, I think most of us would know what was meant.
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