Anyone else call 'em johnnies?

Nurses General Nursing

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I went to nursing school and was a CNA in Maine, and we always called hospital gowns "johnnies". When I got my first job out of school at a hospital in NC, I sure got some curious looks when I asked people where the clean johnnies were kept, usually they thought I was talking about a commode...hehehe

Anyway, my sister is in nursing school back home and we were chatting about this today, I was wondering exactly how regional of a term it is?

Specializes in Emergency Care.

Thanks kaylesh, im sure im going to need help with the terms used in the US, hoping to go to massachusetts or New Hampshire they both look beautiful - how you liking Scotland? its very cold up there in winter, but apparently New England gets snow!! which we rarely get these days! will be in touch thanksx

Thanks kaylesh, im sure im going to need help with the terms used in the US, hoping to go to massachusetts or New Hampshire they both look beautiful - how you liking Scotland? its very cold up there in winter, but apparently New England gets snow!! which we rarely get these days! will be in touch thanksx

Not spent much time in NH.. but as i said i grew up in Mass. so am partial to it :)

I love it here in the Fife area.. I first lived up in Aberdeen bloody freezing up there for sure.. Much more temperate here in Fife.

Aye it does get cold here but never as cold as Mass. and very very rarely do we get snow which we could get plenty of in Mass. I still miss a good blizzard /snowstorm as well as a good thunder and lightning storm during the summer..

Good luck and feel free to keep in touch.

Kay

Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

Johnnies in the UK is a slang word for condoms

Johnnies in the UK is a slang word for condoms

"john" is slang for a prostitute's customer.

i suppose after an hr or two together, "johnny" is appropriate.

leslie

Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.
"john" is slang for a prostitute's customer.

i suppose after an hr or two together, "johnny" is appropriate.

leslie

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:chuckle

Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.
I'm in nursing school, and I'd call myself a midwest girl. In school and the facilities I've worked, we called them gowns. And the pads are called "chux", although it took me a few times of hearing that term in class to understand that a "chux" is a pad.

As for Johnny...that's the term I've always used for the portable toilets used on construction sites...Johnny-on-the-spots? As in "Phew, that Johnny was really stinky."

Ah those are called Port-A-Potties here. Although I have heard the term, going to the John. I love hearing about regional differences in English.

Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.
Ah those are called Port-A-Potties here. Although I have heard the term, going to the John. I love hearing about regional differences in English.

They are called Thunder boxes here :D

ewww

I am in Ohio, we too call them chux or pink pads. disposable ones are called disposable chux or blue pad.

Specializes in L&D, Med Surg.

I'm originally from massachusetts, and we always called them "johnnies" also. I've been here in pennsylvania for two years, and nobody has ever heard that term either.

They're johnnies here in Boston...but then again, we drink tonic, push carriages in the grocery store & put jimmies on our ice cream...most of my friends from out of state never know what I'm talking about anyway!

We just call the pink quilted pads pads, and the blue smaller pads that go with the air mattresses pads. We have the blue chux, but don't use them for incontinence, I've seen them thrown down for dressing changes so we don't mess the bed.

Oh my goodness, I live in Oregon and I along with everyone in my family "push carriages in the grocery store". I am always made fun of for saying carriages. I had no idea where the saying came from, but it all makes sense now...My grandma was born and raised just outside of Boston. Now I can tell everyone that makes fun of me where the saying came from. :yeah:

As for "johnnies" I have to say I have never heard that one used out here before, but I'll remember it as I am planning on moving to the New England area after I finish school.

Specializes in Critical Care/Rapid Response Team.

I'm originally from Ma. and then Ct. and we called them johnnies. When I moved south to Ga. they had no clue what I was talking about. Johnnies wasn't the only thing and there are plenty of "southern sayin's and terms" that I don't have a clue about.My southern friends and I have a great time laughing about all the differences!!

I'm here in Rhode Island and we call them johnnies here. I have also worked in Pennsylvania, Texas, Indiana, Colorado, and New Mexico and I have never heard of the term "johnnies" until I arrived in Rhode Island. I'm guessing that it's a very local New England term only.

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