davidsen@steinmetz.UUCP (Davidsen) (11/27/85)
As I recall, the term "crap" comes from the term "crapper" for the flush toilet. Seems the inventor was named Crapper (Sir John?). -- billD (..seismo!rochester!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen) (davidsen@GE-CRD.ARPA) "It seemed like a good idea at the time..."
jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman) (11/30/85)
> > As I recall, the term "crap" comes from the term "crapper" for the flush > toilet. Seems the inventor was named Crapper (Sir John?). > -- > billD (..seismo!rochester!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen) Someone once wrote a book called "Flushed With Pride", which claimed that the inventor of the flush toilet was a man named "Thomas Crapper", and that the word "crap" was derived from his name. Although the book was a hoax, it was believed by many, and some reference books still trace the origin of the word to the fictitious Mr. Crapper. Actually, in Middle English there was a word "crappe" meaning "residual waste", and it's likely that the word "crap" was derived from this. -- Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) "Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent..." {amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff
dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady) (12/02/85)
In article <767@rtech.UUCP> jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman) writes: >Someone once wrote a book called "Flushed With Pride", which claimed that the >inventor of the flush toilet was a man named "Thomas Crapper", and that the >word "crap" was derived from his name. Although the book was a hoax . . . >-- >Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) >{amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff >{ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff You'd think _Flushed with Pride_ would *have* to be a hoax, but... I keep hearing otherwise! I have even seen it claimed that Crapper received a patent, and that the company he founded still exists. Does anyone have any solid (pardon the expression) evidence one way or the other? I've been wondering about this for a long time. By the way, if you have ever heard that Fillmore was the first US president to put a bathtub in the White House (leading to a public outcry over the expense) that definitely WAS a hoax which its author (HL Mencken) tried for years to undo. But, amazingly enough, there was at least one alligator found in the New York city sewers (I have copy of the clipping at home). You can't go by what sounds plausible... -- D Gary Grady Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC 27706 (919) 684-3695 USENET: {seismo,decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary
porges@inmet.UUCP (12/03/85)
>Someone once wrote a book called "Flushed With Pride", which claimed that the >inventor of the flush toilet was a man named "Thomas Crapper", and that the >word "crap" was derived from his name. Although the book was a hoax, it was >believed by many, and some reference books still trace the origin of the >word to the fictitious Mr. Crapper. Actually, in Middle English there was >a word "crappe" meaning "residual waste", and it's likely that the word "crap" >was derived from this. Well, I think it's true, and I can show you the brass rubbing from Crapper's manhole cover in Westminter Abbey if you want. Well, I can't, but my mother can. -- Don Porges ...harpo!inmet!porges ...hplabs!sri-unix!cca!ima!inmet!porges ...yale-comix!ima!inmet!porges
lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) (12/04/85)
When I was rushing madly from museum to museum in London recently, I saw a rather bizarre display of "water closets through the ages," (my choice of words, not theirs). I think it was in the Science Museum. I distinctly remember seeing an early gravity tank-flush unit that was credited to Mr. Crapper. Somehow, net.followup still doesn't seem appropriate for this topic. --Lauren--
wjh@bonnie.UUCP (Bill Hery) (12/05/85)
> >.........................................Although the book was a hoax . . . > > .......................................But, amazingly enough, there was > at least one alligator found in the New York city sewers (I have copy of > the clipping at home). A few alligators have been found in ponds in NY suburbs in recent years. Apparantly, some people brought baby alligators back from Florida as pets (which is illegal), and when they got too big, they let them loose.
lambert@boring.UUCP (12/10/85)
In article <226@argon.kcl-cs.UUCP> phil@argon.UUCP (Phil Thompson) writes: > In article <76@nbs-amrf.UUCP> hopp@nbs-amrf.UUCP (Ted Hopp) writes: >>> One question: The person who flamed me called my article "crap". [...] >>> What does the word "crap" mean? >> The word "crap" literally means "trash". It has the additional connotation >> of excrement or something equally unappealing. > The origin of the word "crap" is Thomas Crapper. He invented the first > flushing toilet. So "crap", if it means anything, means excrement. I seem to remember that the first time I heard or read about Thomas Crapper (I don't remember which, where and when; maybe Martin Gardner's column in Scientific American?), it was presented as one in a series of hoaxes. Since then, I have encountered several people who firmly believe in the historical authenticity of this person, there apparently existing a biography that even features a photograph of his store from which the flushing toilet started its flush of victory. However, several dictionaries give an etymology of crap as coming from Middle English "crappe", meaning something like "useless residuals" and stemming from or related to a now obsolete Middle Dutch word. Others don't have the word (in this meaning) at all. None that I consulted mention one Thomas Crapper. I am quite confused now. There seem to be at least the following possibilities: i) The Thomas Crapper story is a clever hoax, including a faked biography. ii) Thomas Crapper did exist, but his name is an ironic play of fate (or maybe it predisposed him to make this particular invention:-). iii) T.C. did exist and donated his name to the instrument used for the activity of excretion, and thereby, by back-formation, to "crap". The etymology in the dictionaries is false. iv) Although the etymology is not false, Crapper was instrumental in revitalizing a word on the verge of obsolescence and specializing its meaning to its current excremental connotation. Who can shed light on this? Of particular interest is evidence of T.C.'s inventorship of the flushing toilet (such as a patent issued in his name; but from an independent source, not from the biography). By the way, did you know that "Flushing toilets" are called thus because they were first produced and employed in Flushing? -- Lambert Meertens ...!{seismo,okstate,garfield,decvax,philabs}!lambert@mcvax.UUCP CWI (Centre for Mathematics and Computer Science), Amsterdam
andrew@aimmi.UUCP (Andrew Stewart) (12/10/85)
> >>Someone once wrote a book called "Flushed With Pride", which claimed that the >>inventor of the flush toilet was a man named "Thomas Crapper", and that the >>word "crap" was derived from his name. Although the book was a hoax, ..... > > Well, I think it's true, and I can show you the brass rubbing from >Crapper's manhole cover in Westminter Abbey if you want. Well, I can't, but >my mother can. Mr. Thomas Crapper did indeed exist - he founded one of the greatest companies for manufacturing WC's! His firm still exists, although I think it's been bought out a few times since the beginning of the century.... There are still a number of the original overhead cisterns left, with the Thomas Crapper name and imprint on them... mostly in Victorian buildings in London. This is real history! -andrew -- ------------------------------------------- Andrew Stewart UUCP: andrew@aimmi.UUCP ARPA: andrew@aimmi.ac.uk "Once the subject is clearly understood, the explanation will seem sensible."
stewart@ihlpf.UUCP (R. J. Stewart) (12/11/85)
< I can't believe I'm getting in on this discussion > > [speculation on the origin of "crap"] > > By the way, did you know that "Flushing toilets" are called thus because > they were first produced and employed in Flushing? Let's not start another round of false etymology! "Flushing" is an adjective, from the verb "to flush", meaning: to pour liquid over or through; esp: to cleanse or wash out with or as if with a rush of liquid. Flush comes from the Latin "fluere" - to flow, which also gives us the words "fluid" and "flux". Bob Stewart ihnp4!ihlpf!stewart