Why do some people refer to the toilets as the "Johns" when the "Toms" would be so much more appropriate?

star_gazer

It is often incorrectly quoted that the toilet was invented by a Mr Thomas Crapper in the 18th century. Actually, simple toilets have been used since Babylonian times. In 1596, John Harrington invented an indoor water closet for Queen Elizabeth I. But Harrington then published a book with tasteless puns about his own invention. The toilet then dropped into obscurity for nearly 200 years. In 1775, London watchmaker Alexander Cummings patented the forerunner of today's toilet. There was a Mr Crapper around at the time - he happened to be a successful plumber, appropriately. The British word for toilet, "loo", derives from the French "garde a l'eau!" In medieval Europe people had little conception of hygene and threw the contents of their chamber pots out the window into the street below. In France the practice was preceded by "garde a l'eau!" ("watch out for the water!"). In England, this phrase was Anglicised, first to "gardy-loo!", then just "loo", and eventually came to mean the toilet/lavatory itself. The American word for toilet, "john", is called after the John Harington mentioned above. http://www.didyouknow.org/toilets.htm Jul 15 09, 4:03 PM

zbeckabee

Also See Questions #56940 and #26702: http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question56940.html http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question26702.html Jul 15 09, 7:08 PM