# Deuce = poop. Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deuce-poop-why/260824 "2004-08-21T05:12:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deuce-poop-why/260824/1 "2004-08-21T05:12:10Z")
**Seems like radio station disk jockeys have recently, en masse, starting using the term “pop a deuce” or “leave a deuce” for having a bowel movement. Where did this term originate, and how did it catch on so fast in radioland?** ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deuce-poop-why/260824/2 "2004-08-21T05:14:31Z")
Presumably a “deuce” comes from the fact that many people refer to our solid waste as “Number 2”. Liquid waste is “Number 1” “Deuce” sounds hip without being scatalogical. Presumably. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deuce-poop-why/260824/3 "2004-08-21T05:16:55Z")
I’ve heard the term for awhile now. I don’t think it’s that new. My guess - it’s called “going number two”, right? Deux is two in French. Thus “pop a [number] two” etc. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deuce-poop-why/260824/4 "2004-08-21T11:28:16Z")
Am I the only one who saw **elmwood** ’s Thread Title and thought of the Beach Boys? \*Well I’m not feelin’ well, I gotta sit down I’ve got the fastest acting bowels in town This might be TMI but I’m telling you, man I think it’s time that I should cut back on the bran It’s my little DUECE POOP You don’t know what I ate (My little deuce poop) (You don’t know what I ate) \* ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deuce-poop-why/260824/5 "2004-08-21T11:53:25Z")
Posh folk are often depicted crying “What the deuce…?” as a sort of an archaic, gentrified “wtf”. In that case, is it referring to poop, or to some other meaning? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deuce-poop-why/260824/6 "2004-08-21T13:02:52Z")
> [@Ross](#): > > Posh folk are often depicted crying “What the deuce…?” as a sort of an archaic, gentrified “wtf”. In that case, is it referring to poop, or to some other meaning? Euphemism for “What the devil…?”, from an era where pianos had limbs because a proper person would not say such a sexually charged word as “legs.” ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deuce-poop-why/260824/7 "2004-08-21T13:51:03Z")
> [@Gary T](#): > > “What the devil…?”… “legs.” I can’t believe you said _both_ of those. _:: immediately swoons dead away ::_ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deuce-poop-why/260824/8 "2004-08-21T13:58:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Euphemism for “What the devil…?” I’m reading _Two Years Before the Mast_, about Richard Henry Dana, Jr’s voyage that started in 1834. I’ve noticed that he writes “d\_\_\_l” for “devil”. G\_d forbid if anyone mentiones the name of the d\_\_\_l! Imagine how Mrs. _ **, who lives in B** _ would react. She’d probably s\_\_\_! ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deuce-poop-why/260824/9 "2004-08-21T14:08:55Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Am I the only one who saw **elmwood** ’s Thread Title and thought of the Beach Boys? > \*[/size] yes. But now I’m sure we all have that tune in our heads. Thanks, man.