I and my friend came out from our class and were going to powder our noses. After reaching near to bathrooms, we found that doors of all bathrooms were closed, meaning that some students had already entered the bathrooms. My friend asked to me to describe this situation in English language. 'All bathrooms are packed', I said to him, adding that you might also say all toilets are being used. Was I right in describing the above mentioned situation? How will a native English speaker describe this situation?
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2All stalls were occupied.– ЯegDwightCommented Nov 12, 2018 at 14:01
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What @ЯegDwight said. The legend on bathroom door locks often shows either vacant or occupied. We also often see the word engaged in this context, but I tend to see that as a reference to the lock itself (where the internal bolt mechanism is "engaged / locked", meaning the door can't be opened). But occupied clearly refers to the cubicle, not the lock.– FumbleFingersCommented Nov 12, 2018 at 14:14
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@FumbleFingers I would say engaged on a lock is used in its busy/occupied sense. Similar to a 'phone being engaged.– TripeHoundCommented Nov 12, 2018 at 15:02
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"All the toilets are being used" is fine. Also: All the toilets are occupied. Also the first suggestion. in AmE, we say stalls, but toilet is ok, too.– LambieCommented Nov 12, 2018 at 15:50
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I would say The bathroom is full. (Which is more idiomatic than literal.)– Jason BassfordCommented Nov 12, 2018 at 17:08
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1 Answer
All the (toilets/cubicles/stalls) were (busy/engaged/occupied/being used).
There are a few dialect differences. Using "stall" is American, as is "bathroom" (when referring to a place without a bath).
You could also use a negative statement "None of the toilets were (free/available/vacant)"