We see them every day: in restaurants, train stations, shopping malls… These two little letters, “WC,” have become almost invisible through sheer habit. Yet, if you were asked what they mean exactly, would you be able to answer without hesitation? Many thought they knew the answer… until social media got involved.
Spoiler alert: no, it’s not just a fancy version of “toilets”.
What does “WC” really mean?
“WC” is the abbreviation for the English expression “Water Closet”.
Literally, it means “water cupboard”. Put that way, it’s hard to imagine a modern, tiled room… and yet, it makes perfect sense when you delve back into its history.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, not all homes had running water. Bathrooms, as we know them today, were not yet ubiquitous. When indoor plumbing gradually became standard in homes, a place had to be found to install the new sanitary fixtures.
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