cousin john

Questions

What does cousin john mean?

A place or device for urination and defecation: an outhouse or chamber pot.

Where does cousin john come from?

From John (“outhouse; lavatory; chamber pot; toilet”). Possibly derived from a "euphemistic phrase of excuse" (e.g., "visiting my cousin John" or "going to cousin John's house"), similar to modern use of "powdering one's nose", but this is unattested.

How to pronounce cousin john

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cousin john”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “cousin john”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “cousin john” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.