Trivia 1-13-20

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The ubiquitous British "WC" of today owes its nickname to a phrase describing a convenient little room that was a mid-19th century alternative to the outdoor privy. Two versions of the room, with slightly different names, were in use in the US. What was the "WC's" full name, and what was the name for the other common version of this room?

credit: @LoyaltyOfDogs
 
WC I know is water closet. The only other word I have heard used for that building in that era was "the necessary" so I'll guess that for part 2.

Edit - I've heard of that other term too, lupaglupa, so you get credit for a correct response.

Welcome to the trivia game. Hope you'll come back and play again.

hoosier
 
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The ubiquitous British "WC" of today owes its nickname to a phrase describing a convenient little room that was a mid-19th century alternative to the outdoor privy. Two versions of the room, with slightly different names, were in use in the US. What was the "WC's" full name, and what was the name for the other common version of this room?

credit: @LoyaltyOfDogs
WC stands for "water closet". Also used was "the Loo".
 
What an interesting question and I hope I understand it correctly:
A “Water Closet” (a toilet enclosed in a small room).
My source has a description to what was called an “EC” or Earth Closet from the 1800’s. It was also referred to as a “DC” or Dry Closet. Rev. Henry Moule took out the first U.S. patent on his “EC” in 1860.
http://www.oldandinteresting.com/earth-closet.aspx
 
Well! WC = Water Closet. Closet Stool was an alternative name.

That came from the book, Life in Civil War America.

Life in Civil War America Source

That book also notes Close Stool as another alternative name. But Closet Stool looks like it is the most common alternative name. Interesting to see how the outhouse evolved into utilizing a House closet to do your business. The scariest part is the book states that toilet paper was not invented until the 1880's. Yikes.
 
The WC's full name is WATER CLOSET as adopted in England circa 1870
Other common names in in England today are LOO and TOILET
Common names in U.S. today are TOILET, BATHROOM, POWDER ROOM, LAVATORY and INDOOR PLUMBING

Note: Because of the wording of the question, I'm not sure what "common version of this room" is asking for as there are/were many, many terms (not just a single one) derived from "WC". Does it mean in the U.S, or in Great Britain? And does it mean at the time the term was adopted in the 1800s or does it mean the term used today??? Yep, I'm confused. And it gets more confusing if you read the info below...

The term "water-closet" was an early term for a room with a toilet. Originally, the term "wash-down closet" was used. The "water-closet" was invented in England around 1870. It did not reach the United States until the 1880s. Around this time, only luxury hotels and wealthy people had indoor private bathrooms. By 1890, the fear of the theory of disease was beginning to arise about carelessly disposed human waste being contaminated and infectious. This is stated in the book "A People and A Nation" the eighth edition. Originally, the term "bath-room" referred only to the room where the bathtub was located, which was usually a separate room, but this connotation has changed in common North American usage. In the UK, the terms "bathroom" and "toilet" are used to indicate discrete functions, even though bathrooms in modern homes have been designed according to the American norm since around the mid-sixties. The term "water closet" was probably adapted because in the late 19th century, with the advent of indoor plumbing, a toilet displaced an early clothes closet, closets being shaped to easily accommodate the spatial needs of a commode. Early indoor toilets had in fact been known as garderobes because they actually were used to store clothes, as the smell of ammonia was found to deter fleas and moths. The term "water closet" is still used today in some places, but it often refers to a room that has both a toilet and other plumbing fixtures such as a sink or a bathtub. Plumbing manufacturers often use the term "water-closet" to differentiate toilets from urinals. American plumbing codes still refer to a toilet as a "Water Closet" or a "WC". Many South American countries refer to a toilet as a "water" or "WC". The Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary accepts "váter" as a name for a toilet or bathroom, which is derived from the British term "water-closet". In French the expression "aller aux waters" ("to go to the waters") has now become obsolete, but it also derives from "water closet". "WC" is still used in the French language, although not as common as the term "toilet", and pronounced as "VC", a shortened version of "double V C". In Germany the expression "Klo" (first syllable of "closet") is still used, though the term is colloquial and not welcome in polite conversation.

In Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands (due to the bowl design) the toilet is often kept in a separate room known as the "WC" even in newly built residences. In the Dutch-speaking part (Flanders) as well as the French-speaking part of Belgium (Wallonia), "WC" is a frequently used synonym for "toilet".

 
:sheep: I'm sorry, I think I don't understand the second part of the question...

The "WC" stands for "water closet" - so far, so good.

But what was the name for the other common version of this room? Are we talking about a room inside the house were you do your "business"? Apparently it was not "toilet", because a "toilet" was an outhouse back then...

Wikipedia says:
This room is commonly known as a "bathroom" in American English, a "loo" in British English, a "washroom" in Canadian English, and by many other names across the English speaking world.

1578933818912.png


Source

When you say "other common version of the room", do you mean a version with a bathtub? Is it "bathroom" then? :help:

In the source below the word "lavatory" is used, but I think that word is pretty uncommon in the US - while the word "bathroom" seems to be as "ubiquitous" as the term "WC" is.

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Source

In the following source there are several words for that important yet rarely boasted place inside each modern home, which I had never heard before, like "crapper" (a reverence to the inventor of the flushing toilet, Thomas Crapper) and "john". Learned something new here, I never knew that so many words existed for so tiny a room!

Something tells me that my answer is too simple, but as I'm "standing on the hose" as we fittingly say in Germany, my answer for the second part of the question is as simple as it is common. I'm going with "bathroom".

Would you excuse me now for a moment. I'd like to wash my hands ... :D
 
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