What’s in a name?
This advert appeared in the Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial & General Advertiser on 2nd October 1869 and seemed very strange when I first came across it. The pottery advertised in the Stoke papers whenever they wanted to recruit a pottery specialist but I couldn’t figure out why they would want a table manufacturer.
After quite a bit of searching I found out that at that time the washbasins were designed to stand on legs rather than a pedestal and the washbasin actually looked like, and was often called, a table. The correct term for a washbasin was in fact a lavatory which is derived from the Latin word lavare meaning to wash. In the late 19th century the pottery actually bought in cast iron stands for their lavatories.
In the mid 1930s the company decided that “lavatory” was an unsuitable term for the general public to use so they dropped it from their catalogues. In 1936 they started began to send out bulletins to their representatives and customers and their August 1937 bulletin (No. 9) contained this article on the subject.
THE WASHBASIN.
For a long time it has been general practice in the Sanitary or Plumbing Trade to refer to a Washbasin as a “Lavatory” or “Pedestal Lavatory”. Some two years ago we analysed this word and came to the conclusion that “Lavatory” was an unsuitable word from the Public or Consumer point of view, and we therefore adopted the word “Washbasin” for this fixture i.e. Wall Washbasin or Pedestal Washbasin”. In all our Booklets, Leaflets and Literature for the last two years the word “Washbasin” has been used, omitting the word “Lavatory” altogether – We wonder if this has been noticed? – Certainly we have not heard one voluntary comment or remark. The description “Washbasin” seems to have been accepted automatically – we rather expected this, it is more apt, more palatable and more natural.
And now the W.C. At the same time we believed the word “Closet” to be rather unsuitable – Closet is quite all right from a trade point of view, but is not always accepted in general conservation without, perhaps, a slight trace of hesitance or embarrassment. Of course, it is all quite absurd in a broad sense, bur some people’s susceptibilities are more touchy than others – this is but natural, as we don’t all think the same way.
When we adopted “Washbasin” two years ago, we also agreed that the word “W.C.” or “W.C. Suite” was better than “Closet” – is there still a better term?
On reflection, one often sees the word “W.C.” on the door in Hotels, Theatres, Offices etc., quite frequently it is “Lavatory”, and sometimes the word “Toilet” and often we hear the W.C. room referred to as “the Lavatory”. In North America the word “Toilet” was introduced some years ago to refer to the Closet and it’s use as a descriptive term to this article seems to have gained a certain amount of ground. We noticed a short while ago that a certain British manufacturer had standardized the word “Toilet” and dropped “Closet” entirely, although still using “Lavatory” for Washbasin. “Toilet”, of course, is practically the same word as the Continental indication for this room.
We do not wish to be credited with pioneering in these matters, it is merely the question of adopting a more suitable word, and if this object is achieved, we shall have been of service to the trade and all concerned, and we shall benefit accordingly.
Now we are particularly anxious to have a brief expression of views on this subject from you – whilst we are not ashamed or embarrassed in our trade of the name “Lavatory” or “Closet”, we do think, however, an improvement can be made, having the public’s interest in mind.
A few months later bulletin No. 11 followed up with the results of their straw poll confirming the use of the term ‘washbasin’ and also the following note from an unnamed salesman:-
“’Lavatory’ for the unmentionable W.C. is a horrible ‘refinement’ and the Yankeeism ‘Toilet’ represents ‘niceness’ in its worst form. ‘Closet’ literally refers to the closed space rather than the utensil – which is properly a ‘Pan’ (but this word, frequently used in Australia and New Zealand, is hardly suitable for general use).”
The bulletin continues:- The abbreviation W.C. being short for Water Closet rather begs the question, but it seems to us about the best description, especially as it is so brief. ‘Closet Bowl’ or ‘Bowl’ is frequently used in North America, but the latter in particular would convey little to the layman. We have one definite suggestion, viz “Terlit”, but this sounds too superior. Can you better W.C.?
Weighty subject, eh? So what term do you use?