# When did toilet paper stop being called that? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559 "2023-09-03T22:02:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![I.Dunno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I.Dunno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I.Dunno)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/21 "2023-09-04T04:27:18Z")
I remember attending a play years ago at my local Repertory Theatre. It was a comedy set in Britain and I think more or less modern-day. The opening scene had the husband calling down the stairs “Dearest, we’re all out of Lavatory Stationery.” ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/22 "2023-09-04T04:46:47Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > I can’t remember a time when this stuff was ever actually called toilet paper…on the packaging, in a commercial, in a sale catalog, anywhere. I don’t know WTF is going on about not being able to link to YouTube videos. Go to YouTube and search **Commercial: WHITE CLOUD - whisper the shame** They use the word toilet paper but it’s whispered. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/23 "2023-09-04T04:55:41Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > “Toilet” itself is a polite euphemism. Not far removed from “ladies powder room”. There’s a phenomenon where a euphemism gets the connotations of the original tabu word and thus starts to become tabu itself. For “toilet”, this has advanced more in the US than in non-US English-speaking countries. In other words, in the US, “toilet” is seen as being a somewhat crude word, so other euphemisms are often used in its place. This isn’t the case in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/24 "2023-09-04T05:22:20Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > WHITE CLOUD - whisper the shame This it? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/d7LaAnaN4Jc/hqdefault.jpg "commercial: WHITE CLOUD - whisper the shame") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7LaAnaN4Jc) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/25 "2023-09-04T05:27:07Z")
Yes. How are you posting that? I keep getting a notice **An error occurred: Sorry, you can’t embed media items in a post.** ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/26 "2023-09-04T05:28:34Z")
Ya know – there’s a whole thread about this in ATMB, but I just delete the “s” in “https:” and it seems to work for me. Sometimes adding a “/” at the end of the URL works, too. I just try some combination of stuff until it embeds properly. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/27 "2023-09-04T07:16:50Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > toilet is not a word with pretty connotations, All words that don’t explicitly mention the bodily function are euphemisms - “toilet” used to refer to any and all forms of dressing/prettying yourself up (from the French “toile” for cloth), “lavatory” is a Latinate way of saying “washroom”, “WC” is quite rare nowadays, “bathroom” and “restroom” are positively misleading. Over here we seem to have settled for “loo” and “loo-roll” for conversational use, but if memory serves, my supermarket signposts “toilet tissue”. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/28 "2023-09-04T08:01:49Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@rippingtons\_fan](#): > > It’s best with pictures of Trump on it. Keep the political pot-shots out of FQ, please. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/29 "2023-09-04T08:05:46Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Yes. > > How are you posting that? I keep getting a notice > **An error occurred: Sorry, you can’t embed media items in a post.** It’s a Discourse bug. Discourse gets all confused and thinks the OneBox preview window that Discourse itself creates is you trying to embed media into your post even though you aren’t. Then Discourse gets all huffy because we have embedded media disabled for regular users. So basically it’s Discourse being an idiot. Details and workarounds here: > [@Have links to YouTube been disabled?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958): > > I just tried posting a couple of YouTube links in and got the message An error occurred: Sorry, you can’t embed media items in a post. What’s going on? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/30 "2023-09-04T10:50:51Z")
I’m fond of ‘john’. Not sure what kind of euphemism it is, exactly; cf. ‘jakes’. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/31 "2023-09-04T11:42:12Z")
I call it **bog roll**. Aren’t you all glad I dropped by this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/32 "2023-09-04T12:18:17Z")
There’s a spirited exchange going on on Facebook right now between two relatives of mine, one fifty-something, the other eighty-something. The older one is offended by the term “toilet paper” the younger is offended by the euphemism “bath tissue”. It’s better than them arguing about religion! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/33 "2023-09-04T12:57:30Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > For “toilet”, this has advanced more in the US than in non-US English-speaking countries. In other words, in the US, “toilet” is seen as being a somewhat crude word, so other euphemisms are often used in its place. This isn’t the case in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The word “toilet” is used differently in the US and the UK. In the US it refers to the fixture that you poop into. In the UK it’s used to refer to the whole room. > [@whats the big deal with the word "toilet" in the US?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-with-the-word-toilet-in-the-us/501329): > > so exactly why is asking “excuse me, where is the toilet?” so offensive in the US? In Australia, UK and Asian countries where english is commonly spoken thats most likely what you’d say if you’re at a restaurant and needed to go. Ask that in the US and the waiters would look at you in horror… what the crap? why does the US have such a big deal about using the actual word for the place? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/34 "2023-09-04T13:06:10Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > In the US it refers to the fixture that you poop into It could, but, if you wanted to be specific, wouldn’t you refer to the “pot”, “bowl”, “can”, “throne”, …? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/35 "2023-09-04T13:10:06Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > It could, but, if you wanted to be specific, wouldn’t you refer to the “pot”, “bowl”, “can”, “throne”, …? Those are all slangy. The “proper” name for the fixture is the toilet. I honestly can’t think of any other “official” word for it. If you walked into a large American hardware store, like Lowe’s or Home Depot, and asked where the toilets were, you’d probably be directed to the plumbing aisles. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/36 "2023-09-04T13:11:51Z")
In the 1980s my parents were hosting an elderly (to me at least, he must have been in his 60s!) priest visiting from India. I was newly immigrated to the US myself. I took him to a museum, where he asked to be directed to the “gents”. This perplexed the member of staff. “Gents?” “Yes, gents” “Yes, the gents” “Do you mean the Ghent painters?” “No, the gentlemen’s convenience” “Eh?” I interjected “The men’s toilet” She seemed horrified at my vulgarity. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/37 "2023-09-04T13:21:54Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The word “toilet” is used differently in the US and the UK. In the US it refers to the fixture that you poop into. In the UK it’s used to refer to the whole room. It refers to either here in Australia. If you are a plumber it is the _pan_, but go into any plumbing supply store and there will be a row of pans and cisterns with a big sign on the row labelling them “toilets”. Most people here would have no idea that there was an alternative name for the device. Real Estate adverts list the number of toilets in a house. I guess we are a little less worried about colourful euphemisms here. (I’ll often ask for “the facility” just to see how far things can be stretched. I have never yet failed to get the wanted answer.) Like tissues. IMHO there are two sorts of tissues, _ **facial** _ tissues, and _ **faecal** _ tissues. Sadly, I don’t think it will catch on. In educated society in the UK less than 100 years ago “toilet” was understood to mean dressing and sorting yourself out, including hair and general appearance. A “hasty toilet” meant something far less biological than it might connotate now. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/38 "2023-09-04T13:40:00Z")
Just don’t call it a “BC”: [http://godslittleacre.net/funnies/bathroom\_commode.html](http://godslittleacre.net/funnies/bathroom_commode.html) ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/39 "2023-09-04T14:00:58Z")
Any euphemism we use is gradually going to end up having an explicit meaning, which is going to result in people with delicate sensibilities being offended. I think the only solution is to stop using any word at all. We can just say, “Excuse me, where is the…?” Or “Hmmm we seem to be out of … paper” ---
**Author:** ![TwoCarrotSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twocarrotsnowman/32/15879_2.png) [@TwoCarrotSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoCarrotSnowman)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559/40 "2023-09-04T14:27:32Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > It refers to either here in Australia Same in the UK. The toilet (the object we defecate into) can be found in the toilet (the room). This doesn’t seem to cause much confusion. And for the record, we call it “toilet paper”. Or, like @GuanoLad, “bog roll” if we’re amongst friends. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-toilet-paper-stop-being-called-that/989559.md?page=3)