The WC - Still in use today, the abbreviation WC stems from the term “water closet” which is what we used to call toilets in the Victorian era.
'The loo' is generally a safe term to use and likely won't offendanyone. 'Lavatory' is a good option for people looking for a very formal word to use in very formal occasions.
He built one in his house (the Queen did, too). However, it was expensive. It cost £1 10 shillings and 8 pence to build – a year's wages for a male servant. Toilets were called 'privies'.
The earliest form of toilet, water closet or WC was of course a hole in the open ground, over a cesspit. Two early enhancements were some form of shelter, and then a seat or cover.
The Privy. Rarely used these days, 'the privy' originally meant a hidden place or the sharing of secret or private thoughts. Over time, however, especially in the North of England and Scotland, the word privy was conflated with toilet, and eventually, this new meaning supplanted the old meaning.
The WC - Still in use today, the abbreviation WC stems from the term “water closet” which is what we used to call toilets in the Victorian era.
Besides France, bidets are common in other European countries such as Italy and Portugal. You can also find them in South American countries such as Argentina and Venezuela, and you'll find some very fancy ones used in Japan. In recent times, bidets have begun to become more common in the United States.
In 1848, the government decreed that every new house should have a water-closet (WC) or ash-pit privy.
Options included rocks, leaves, grass, moss, animal fur, corn cobs, coconut husks, sticks, sand, and sea shells.
In many ways, the Victorian bathroom has served as the foundation for modern bathroom design as we know it. While many rooms in the typical Victorian home were often dark, cluttered and heavily decorated, by contrast, Victorian bathrooms were far more practical but no less beautiful.
Garderobes were toilets used in the Post-classical history, most commonly found in upper-class dwellings.
Dental Hygiene in the Elizabethan Era
What did the English do to try to keep their teeth healthy in that time period? They would use quills or wood for toothpicks and wash off plaque with a cloth. (We definitely prefer our modern toothbrushes.)
The toilets displayed the company logo 'Thomas Crapper & Co Ltd'. The US soldiers stationed in England at the time started referring to the toilet as “the Crapper” and brought that slang term back with them to the United States. The slang word for toilet became more widely taken up and is still being used today.
Instead of using “toilet,” royals use the word “loo” when they need to use the facilities.
Loo is an informal yet polite British term for toilet.
The loo, the latrine, the lavatory — the nicknames for the porcelain throne are endless!
Today's royals take care of their own personal hygiene. But historically the role of Groom of the Stool was a very important one at court, which involved being responsible for assisting the monarch with their excretion and ablutions.
In much of the 19th century, personal cleaning was very eco-friendly. This included the Victorian period, whereby personal hygiene was highly valued. The Stand Up Wash was commonly used by rich and poor alike, whether with hot or cold water.
Marie Antoinette had a very early version of the flush toilet installed in her suite of rooms!
Though even wealthy families did not take a full bath daily, they were not unclean. It was the custom for most people to wash themselves in the morning, usually a sponge bath with a large washbasin and a pitcher of water on their bedroom washstands. Women might have added perfume to the water.
The term originates in the vocabulary of French furniture from about 1700. At that time, a commode meant a cabinet or chest of drawers, low enough so that it sat at the height of the dado rail (à hauteur d'appui). It was a piece of veneered case furniture much wider than it was high, raised on high or low legs.
Some people like to wipe with toilet paper after using a bidet, but it's a matter of personal preference. The bidet should do a good job at cleaning your bottom, so toilet paper isn't necessary.
Homes are not Currently Plumbed for Bidets.
Before the advent of bidet seats and hand sprayers, installing a bidet was often too expensive, difficult, often impossible due to space issues. Installing a completely new fixture can be expensive, depending on the current layout.