Bathroom vs. Restroom

This morning as I sat on the toilet I began to ponder the difference between the words bathroom and restroom. I always use the word bathroom at home and restroom in public places. Why do two names exist for the same facility? And let's not start on all the words people use to describe the place we go to eliminate waste from our bodies.

I think the first step is to define the two words so I'm going to use my Merriam-Webster dictionary on my phone:

     Bathroom - a room containing a bathtub or shower and usually a sink and toilet

    
     Restroom - a room or suite of rooms providing toilets and lavatories

According to the dictionary, bathroom and restroom are synonyms so that explains some of the confusion.

Now let's examine the words themselves, according to the word bathroom there has to exist a shower or bathtub in the room, that makes sense, it really does. On the other hand a restroom just has potties in it. OK I'm starting to see the difference. I have a bathroom at home because it contains the needed bathtub and when I'm out in public those places don't. But the bathroom definition says, "usually a sink and toilet" so there could exist a bathroom with neither a sink or toilet and it is still a bathroom.

Restrooms however are "a room or suite" that's got nothing but potties. I've been in some super nice restrooms, the one I can best remember is the ladies restroom at the Arclight in Hollywood, that one is swanky. Of course the ones at most of the theaters, I'm talking live theater establishments, are always beautiful. Thinking on this, restrooms in high end places also have couches and chairs. It is like they are inviting you sit down and take a load off and maybe even a nap.

Well now I get it. I get why I have a bathroom at home and go to the restroom in public. I just never really thought about until this morning. I think I need to not think so much next time I'm sitting on the pot.