The Meaning Behind the ‘WC’ Sign: A Journey Through Bathroom Terminology
Have you ever noticed the letters WC outside a public restroom and wondered what they stand for? You’re not alone—people across the globe often puzzle over this cryptic abbreviation.
The Mystery of WC
Simply put, WC stands for water closet, a term historically used to describe a small room containing a toilet and sometimes a sink. While this might clarify the letters, it doesn’t exactly make the term feel more logical—similar to how “restroom,” “bathroom,” or “loo” can seem perplexing in their own right.
In 2020, a TikTok video featuring a couple named Shelby and Dylan hilariously highlighted the differences in bathroom terminology between Americans and Canadians. Walking past a sign reading washroom, Dylan quipped:
“What in the world is a washroom? And what are they washing in there? Oh, it’s a restroom. The only thing I wash in there is my hands.”
Shelby, off-camera, cheekily countered, “Do you rest in a restroom?”—to which Dylan admitted: “Good point. They both don’t make much sense.”
The video sparked a lively online debate about what to call the sacred space. Some commenters preferred “bathroom,” while others leaned toward “toilet,” “washroom,” or “restroom.”
One person humorously recounted a Disneyland visit where asking for the washroom led them to the laundromat. Another chimed in with, “Wait until he finds out about water closets.”
What Is a Water Closet?
According to Merriam-Webster, a water closet refers to “a compartment or room with a toilet” or “a toilet bowl and its accessories.”
Historically, the term reflects a time when specific rooms served distinct purposes. Bathrooms were for bathing, restrooms for resting or grooming, and the water closet for, well, using the toilet. As indoor plumbing became more common in the late 19th century, these spaces gradually merged into the modern bathroom we know today.
The water closet, however, often remained a separate, enclosed room in some homes and public spaces, particularly in Europe and international facilities. You’ll frequently spot the abbreviation WC in airports, hotels, or restaurants, catering to a globally diverse audience.
WC Across Cultures
Online forums like Reddit often dive into the quirks of global bathroom terminology. One post posed the question, Why is a public WC called a bathroom if there’s no bath?
A user responded:
“Americans might ask, ‘Why is it called a WC if it isn’t even a closet?’”
Others shared cultural takes:
- In Russian, it’s referred to as a room without windows, even if there’s a window.
- In Esperanto, it’s necesejo, meaning “necessary place.”
- Canadians frequently use washroom, which is also popular in parts of the U.S. Midwest.
Restroom vs. Bathroom vs. Washroom
The terminology debate continues, with many feeling washroom is the most logical since washing happens there. Meanwhile, terms like restroom or bathroom remain euphemisms.
One Redditor summed it up best:
“Best one, I think. You should be washing in there—not resting.”
What Do You Call It?
Whether you say WC, restroom, bathroom, toilet, or washroom, everyone has a favorite term. What’s yours? Share your thoughts, and don’t forget to spread this story to find out what others think!
A Handy Solution for Dealing with Earwigs at Home
Although most of us can live without some creepy crawlies, we have all encountered bugs in our houses at some point.If you reside in a rural region, you are undoubtedly accustomed to insects like ants, spiders, flies, and others trying to get inside your house in the summer and beyond. These bug guests don’t disturb some people, but others don’t think they’re very welcome. In my opinion, neither spiders nor sporadic flies worry me when they weave their webs in the corners of the room. Earwigs are one insect, nevertheless, that I don’t like.
Despite their diminutive size, earwigs are not cute at all. Despite their appearance of having a painful bite or sting, they are not harmful. Even though earwigs are harmless, most people don’t want a swarm of them scuttling around their houses. I therefore found a certain trick for handling them to be quite helpful.
Facebook user Alicia Alexander suggests that the best way to catch earwigs is to put a shallow dish outside on your deck or in your backyard filled with half a cup of olive oil. Earwigs are drawn to the delicious scent of olive oil, and once they enter the bowl, they cannot escape. According to Alicia, the bowl managed to gather a sizable number of earwigs in less than a day.
Please review the image below:
And the same bowl became considerably fuller after 36 hours.
Because earwigs are drawn to the sweetness of olive oil, you can efficiently deal with an earwig infestation in your home by using this technique!
Not to scare you, but if you find an extraordinary amount of earwigs in your house, it may be a sign that there are issues with rotting wood. Many insects are drawn to decaying wood, including earwigs, so it’s important to inspect any wooden structures you may have at home.
It’s not alarming, though, if earwigs are looking for warmer circumstances within your home. It’s quite natural, and you won’t likely feel any impact at all from their presence.
Have you heard about this easy method for eliminating earwigs? Tell us in the comments below!
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