khazi

English

Etymology

Possibly from Italian casa (“house”), via 1870s Cockney word carsey.^[1]

Or a contraction of "Gazebo"

Possibly from an African language (Zulu or Swahili are often cited) word "M'khazi" meaning a latrine.

Alternative forms

• carsey, carsy, karsey, karsy, karzey, karzy, kazi

Noun

khazi (plural khazis)

1. (UK, slang) A toilet.

Usage notes

Particularly used in "down the khazi".

Khazi is now most commonly used in Liverpool, away from its cockney slang roots.^[2]

See also

• down the drain
• down the tubes
• go down the toilet

References

1. ^ A dictionary of slang and unconventional English, by Eric Partridge et. al., 8th edition, 2002, p. 185
2. ^ "Why Do We Say?" (1987) by Nigel Rees