# Biff - Canadian slang for toilet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 25, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140 "2003-03-25T22:00:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/1 "2003-03-25T22:00:27Z")
In today’s “For Better or For Worse” strip, the guys are traveling in Japan on assignment and are marveling at the tiny hotel room they have. Mike(?) says, “You can sit on the biff and take a shower at the same time!” So, presumably “biff” is slang for “toilet”, correct? I’ve never heard “biff” used as anything anywhere other than a sort of comic book sound effect word. How long has this usage been around? Is it used anywhere other than Canada? Is it used only within a particular region of Canada? ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/2 "2003-03-25T22:08:19Z")
When we were at camp as kids, the bathroom was called a “biffy.” It stands for “ **B** athroom **I** n **F** orest **F** or **Y** ou.” ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/3 "2003-03-25T22:12:27Z")
Never heard “biff” before (outside of _Death of a Salesman_). ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/4 "2003-03-25T22:13:30Z")
Whaaa?? So a) It’s not (necessarily) Canadian, and 2) It may be childhood slang to do with the act, not the fixture? ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/5 "2003-03-25T22:14:04Z")
I’ve heard Biffy used in the past. My Mom calls it that with some regularity. ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/6 "2003-03-25T22:50:50Z")
One more data point: Born & raised in Montreal, lived in Ottawa 5 years and Calgary 3 years. Never heard the term before. Is it a Maritimes thing? ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/7 "2003-03-25T23:00:09Z")
The term is used in Garrison Keillor’s book, _Lake Wobegon Days_, in one of the short stories involving a toilet clog: “Daddy, so-and-so broke the biffy.” This leads me to believe that it’s a northern Midwest term, as well as possibly regional Canadian as proven by FBOFW. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/8 "2003-03-25T23:33:41Z")
FWIW, I am in southern California, and we used it. It refers to the outhouse or other facility, not the act. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/9 "2003-03-25T23:35:06Z")
Perhaps it became a slang for people who thought that mentioning [whisper]_the bathroom_[/whisper] just wasn’t appropriate in polite company. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/10 "2003-03-25T23:37:51Z")
My father used “biffy” all the time (he would also say “telly” instead of “TV”.). Other than my father, I’ve never heard anyone else in Canada use it – he got it from his mom’s side of the family they were from the Michigan area. (“Telly” was from the Scottish side of the family.) ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/11 "2003-03-25T23:46:46Z")
‘Biffy’ was Girl Scout Camp terminology for the outhouse when I was a kid (S. CA). ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/12 "2003-03-25T23:48:36Z")
I believe it’s a British word in wide usage in North America. We used the word at home, and always at Brownie and Guide camps. ---
**Author:** ![generica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@generica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/generica)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/13 "2003-03-26T00:40:27Z")
I’ve only ever heard the term while camping - I always thought it referred to an outhouse, not an indoor toilet. (FWIW, I’m in BC) ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/14 "2003-03-26T01:27:03Z")
I’ve heard the term used to mean screwing something up, or falling flat on your face, as in “the skateboarder really biffed that jump.” Is this just a Utah-ism, or is it more widespread? ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/15 "2003-03-26T07:24:51Z")
Never heard it used by anyone under 50… and even then rarely. I always figured it was an “Eastern” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Barber_s_Underwear)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/16 "2003-03-26T07:43:32Z")
Here in Australia, the term “biff” means fight. As in “The footy teams decided to go the biff in the second half.” -Bubba. ---
**Author:** ![juji\_mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@juji\_mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/juji_mojo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/17 "2003-03-26T08:21:52Z")
Checking in. Biffy was my grandmothers term for the outhouse at the camp. (Im orignially from northwestern Ontario, and in NWOnt, a “camp” is a cottage. It can be a quarter million dollar place with satelite tv and amethyst fireplace. or it can be a one room shack with no electricity or plumbing.) Ours was in between the two. I’ve never heard it abreviated to “biff” but it wouldnt be a stretch. Especially since Lynn Johnson was orignally from NWOnt. Any other Thunder Bayers (or former ones) here? ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/18 "2003-03-27T06:27:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by trupa \* > \*\*One more data point: > > Born & raised in Montreal, lived in Ottawa 5 years and Calgary 3 years. > > Never heard the term before. Is it a Maritimes thing? \*\* hehe, maybe Mike is a Newfy (for some reason even PEI and New Brunswick people pick on the Newfies, what gives?) I only ever heard people say “loo” or “WC” in Canada unless they outright said “toilet” or some other common variant. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/19 "2003-03-27T06:37:01Z")
BC born and raised and used it all my life. Both Mom and Dad did too. Mom was another B&R BC’er, but Dad was from the Prairies. We just used it for toilets in general. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140/20 "2003-03-27T09:12:13Z")
Biff? I suppose it can be used. I usually use ‘biffy’ when camping or whenever. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biff-canadian-slang-for-toilet/164140.md?page=2)