Rent-a-john is an American informal term for a portable toilet — the kind rented for outdoor events, construction sites, or any temporary facility. It plays on the slang 'john' for toilet, framing the portable unit as something you hire rather than own. The register is breezy and informal, typical of American casual speech. The phrase implies a certain unglamorous practicality: you wouldn't call a fancy event bathroom a rent-a-john, but a festival toilet block is fair game.
The construction crew had a rent-a-john at the end of the block, which drew some complaints from the neighbours.
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(US) A portable toilet.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.