# Origin of bathroom codes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454 "2002-12-13T05:55:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guy\_Montag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Guy\_Montag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Montag)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/1 "2002-12-13T05:55:35Z")
So, I was going #2 earlier, and I got to thinking: who came up with a #2ey name like that? #2 like that realy #1’s me off… ---
**Author:** ![SmileyDeath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SmileyDeath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmileyDeath)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/2 "2002-12-13T05:58:26Z")
Thomas J. Crapper. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/3 "2002-12-13T08:10:50Z")
Ironicly, Mr Crapper had legally changed his name a scant 15 days before applying for the flush toilet copyright. His family name was Shithole. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/4 "2002-12-13T08:41:27Z")
[http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin\_board/9/messages/439.html](http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/9/messages/439.html) ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/5 "2002-12-13T12:26:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guy Montag \* > \*\*So, I was going #2 earlier, and I got to thinking: who came up with a #2ey name like that? #2 like that realy #1’s me off… \*\* I’ve no idea but, for what it’s worth, one day at work my Taiwanese co-worker and I were speculating on where the boss might be and I discovered that in Taiwan they say “small” and “big” similar to how we say #1 and #2. ---
**Author:** ![TheRochester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/13edae/32.png) [@TheRochester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheRochester)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/6 "2002-12-13T12:43:18Z")
My favorite is “Dropping the kids off at the pool.” ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/7 "2002-12-13T15:30:26Z")
…or stretching the pipes. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/8 "2002-12-13T15:31:32Z")
#1: I’m going to change the bird’s water. #2: I’m going to lay an egg. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/9 "2002-12-13T16:29:50Z")
I think in some of the African countries that used to be English colonies, they say #1: short call #2: long call Do they say that in the UK too, or is that specifically Anglophone-African? ---
**Author:** ![Agropoli78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@Agropoli78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agropoli78)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/10 "2002-12-13T16:43:10Z")
mother nature is on line…#1, #2 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/11 "2002-12-13T16:44:39Z")
NYC Channel 4 has a commercial with different groups of people singing their nice little jingle. When the lyric goes “For the thrill of being number one,” I wish they would show the Henry Miller theatre with the marque for “Urinetown.” ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/12 "2002-12-13T17:59:49Z")
I’ve been giving this way too much thought. Perhaps it’s because when both needs arrive at once the liquid need is relieved first. That’s how it usually happens with me, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/13 "2002-12-13T18:41:50Z")
In the UK it used to be #2 was to “spend a penny” because that’s what you paid in a public restroom. #1 was to “spend a h’penny” even though in reality it was free. . . . well, for guys at least; woman paid the penny but could only deduct 50% on their tax return _\__ ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/14 "2002-12-13T19:02:23Z")
I think it goes back to requiring schoolchildren to indicate their need to leave the room by raising one finger or two, possibly to avoid the embarassment of describing their needs out loud. The teacher’s assumption may have been that #2 was a bit more urgent and should be accommodated immediately. ---
**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:** [December 13, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bathroom-codes/142454/15 "2002-12-13T21:49:07Z")
[For further reading…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=132338) 🙂