Meaning & use
on the john
Last updated
UK/ɒn ðə ˈdʒɒn/
US/ɑːn ðə ˈdʒɑːn/
Meaning
phraseidiominformalAmerican
Sitting on the toilet, or using the bathroom.
Grammar: Used after be: he is on the john.
Patterns
- be on the john
- spend time on the john
Dad is on the john, so he can't come to the phone.
Don't read your phone while you are on the john.
She was on the john when the doorbell rang.
Common combinations
- be on the john
- Hold on, I'm on the john right now.
- stuck on the john
- He was stuck on the john for ages after the spicy dinner.
- reading on the john
- Reading on the john is a habit many people have.
- spend time on the john
- My brother spends far too much time on the john.
Synonyms and how they differ
- on the toilet
- On the toilet is plain and slightly less jokey, so it suits more situations.
- in the bathroom
- In the bathroom is polite and general, and the speaker does not have to describe what they are doing.
- on the loo
- On the loo is the British equivalent, so it replaces on the john in British speech.
Word family
Commonly confused: on the john or John?
on the john vs John
John is a common first name. In this idiom it is a slang noun and is not capitalized.
Practice
My brother is ___ right now, so he will call you back in a minute.
Choose one answer.
On the john is informal American speech for being on the toilet. The other idioms have different meanings and make no sense in this context.
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