entry
john
/dʒɒn/informal toilet; prostitute's client
From Hebrew → Greek → Medieval Latin → Old French → English John / Yohanan (God has favored).
from Hebrew Yohanan (longer form y'hohanan ), said to mean literally "Jehovah has favored" or "Jah is gracious,"
from Greek Ioannes
from Medieval Latin Johannes , an alteration of Late Latin Joannes
from Old French Jan , Jean , Jehan (Modern French Jean )
Word Ancestry
from Hebrew Yohanan (longer form y'hohanan ), said to mean literally "Jehovah has favored" or "Jah is gracious,"
from Greek Ioannes
from Medieval Latin Johannes , an alteration of Late Latin Joannes
from Old French Jan , Jean , Jehan (Modern French Jean )
A saintly first name ended up in the bathroom, which is the sort of linguistic pratfall English loves. John was everywhere in medieval Christendom — the Baptist, the Evangelist, the parish priest, the generic fellow in the street — so common that it could stand in for any ordinary man, the way we use John Doe today. By the 18th and 19th centuries, that generic blandness had wandered into slang, and 'John' became a discreet label for a prostitute's client and, in another branch of the same euphemistic maze, a toilet. The toilet sense probably rubbed shoulders with older British terms like 'jakes' and with 'Cousin John,' so the trail is a little murky, which only makes it more English. It's a reminder that a name meaning 'God is gracious' can end up meaning the place you go when grace is no longer the issue.
The Story
A saintly first name ended up in the bathroom, which is the sort of linguistic pratfall English loves. John was everywhere in medieval Christendom — the Baptist, the Evangelist, the parish priest, the generic fellow in the street — so common that it could stand in for any ordinary man, the way we use John Doe today. By the 18th and 19th centuries, that generic blandness had wandered into slang, and 'John' became a discreet label for a prostitute's client and, in another branch of the same euphemistic maze, a toilet. The toilet sense probably rubbed shoulders with older British terms like 'jakes' and with 'Cousin John,' so the trail is a little murky, which only makes it more English. It's a reminder that a name meaning 'God is gracious' can end up meaning the place you go when grace is no longer the issue.
Modern Usage
slang for a toilet; also a prostitute's client
Popularized by: generic use of the very common name John, later reinforced by euphemistic slang
Notable References
- Wiktionary's 'john' entry
- modern dictionary slang senses
Kin & Kindred
From 'John / Yohanan'·God has favored; a very common male name
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary