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Washrooms around the world are called by many different names. Whether it’s “bathroom,” “restroom,” or the ever-polite “lavatory,” every country seems to have its preferred terminology. One country that boasts a rich variety of names for public toilets is the United Kingdom. Here, you might hear people say “restroom,” “loo,” or even “lav.” However, there’s another term often seen in public spaces that has left many scratching their heads: the WC sign.\n Despite the fact that the WC sign has been in use for over a century, many people still don\u2019t know what it stands for. If it wasn\u2019t for a TikTok user who recently enlightened the world, some of us might have never figured it out.\n A TikTok video that\u2019s gone viral (with over 3,500 views) has finally shed light on this mysterious sign. In the clip, TikToker @itsnathannyc explains the meaning behind WC, responding to a follower’s inquiry. The answer? WC stands for Water Closet\u2014a term that has been in use since the 19th century.\n Before modern indoor plumbing, homes had a separate room for bathing, but the water source was often outside. People would heat water manually and pour it into a bathtub. Once plumbing arrived, there was already a room called the bathroom for bathing, so when it came time to install a toilet, people needed a new term. Thus, the “water closet” (or WC) was born\u2014essentially a small, enclosed space where the toilet was installed, hence the name closet.\n Although the WC sign has been used for nearly 150 years, many people were surprised to learn its true meaning. Comments poured in on TikTok, with many users admitting they had never bothered to look it up. One user said, \u201cI\u2019m glad someone asked because I\u2019ve been wondering about this for years but never googled it.\u201d Another confessed, \u201cCan\u2019t believe I\u2019ve been living with a WC sign and had no idea why it was called WC.\u201d\n One of the more humorous reactions came from a person who said, \u201cI was 23 years old when I learned that WC means water closet,\u201d showing that even in adulthood, we can still be surprised by everyday things. Another individual chimed in, \u201cI know what a water closet is, but don\u2019t use the word\u2014just use the WC.\u201d\n While some people were shocked by this new knowledge, others expressed surprise that anyone didn\u2019t already know. A few users seemed astonished that people worldwide hadn\u2019t figured it out. \u201cI\u2019ve known this since I was 13,\u201d one person boasted. Another mocked, \u201cConvinced I live in LA because of the common sense levels in the UK\u2014or lack thereof.\u201d\n The WC sign has an interesting history that dates back to the 1870s, when the term “water closet” first emerged in England. This term stuck around and spread across the globe, particularly in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, where public restrooms are often marked with the WC label. While it may seem old-fashioned to some, the term is still widely used, even though the concept of a separate water closet may feel outdated with today\u2019s modern bathrooms.\n The next time you\u2019re traveling and see a WC sign, you\u2019ll know exactly what it stands for. It\u2019s a small piece of history that has stood the test of time, and thanks to the power of social media, more people are now aware of its origins.\n It\u2019s funny how everyday things like a washroom sign can carry so much history behind them. While some countries prefer terms like “restroom” or “toilet,” others have held on to the more traditional WC designation. So, whether you\u2019ve known it all along or just found out today, WC stands proudly as a nod to the past, reminding us of how far we’ve come with modern plumbing.\n Did you already know what WC stood for, or is this news to you? Let us know in the comments!\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Washrooms around the world are called by many different names. Whether it’s “bathroom,” “restroom,” or the ever-polite “lavatory,” every country seems to have its preferred terminology. One country that boasts a rich variety of names for public toilets is the United Kingdom. Here, you might hear people say “restroom,” “loo,” or even “lav.” However, there’s …\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":94537,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[670],"tags":[693,757,1352],"class_list":["post-76683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-news","tag-toilet","tag-wc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76683"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94538,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76683\/revisions\/94538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Revelation Behind the WC Sign\n
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\nA Surprising Revelation\n
Knowledge Not as Common as You Think\n
The WC Sign: A Part of History\n
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\nWhat\u2019s in a Name?\n