# When did TPing start?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tping-start/842293>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 25, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tping-start/842293 "2019-10-25T20:07:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wayneofw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8e7dd6/32.png) [@wayneofw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wayneofw)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tping-start/842293/1 "2019-10-25T20:07:01Z")

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This one came from my sister and her workers. When and where did streaming toilet paper start? I could find the earliest possible date in 1890 when roll paper was developed. I could find nothing on the history of bedecking trees and such with streamers of the stuff though. Can anybody provide an answer or guide me to a source?

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**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tping-start/842293/2 "2019-10-25T20:11:22Z")

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Anecdotally, the first time I personally witnessed a TP’ing was in August, 1970. I am confident the practice precedes that date by several decades.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tping-start/842293/3 "2019-10-25T20:30:11Z")

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See [Auburn University traditions - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auburn_University_traditions#Toomer's_Corner) for an earlier possibility.

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**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tping-start/842293/4 "2019-10-25T20:34:56Z")

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> [@Cardigan](#):
>
> Anecdotally, the first time I personally witnessed a TP’ing was in August, 1970. I am confident the practice precedes that date by several decades.

I can verify it goes back to at least the late 50’s as a Halloween practice. It was venting against those houses not providing candy or just nasty houses would would yell at you for retrieving a ball going into the yard.