Crapper (was: Re: Abstract methods in ADA95)

[Jeffrey Carter <jrcarter@acm.org>]

Frank J. Lhota wrote:
>> When is the last time you heard somone talk about a "Crapper"?
>>After Thomas Crapper its inventor.
> 
> 
> Sorry, the whole Thomas Crapper is a hoax, a result of a humor book "Flushed
> With Pride", a parody of biographies. The author of "Flushed with Pride"
> also wrote a mock biography of the inventor of the bra, "Dr. Titsling" .

There was a Thomas Crapper, and he did manufacture toilets. He may have 
invented improvements to the flushing toilet, but he certainly did not 
invent it. The word "crap" to refer to excrement is much older, though.

Toilets manufactured by Crapper's company had "Crapper" prominently 
written on them. No doubt some users thought that was descriptive, 
rather than the name of the company.

See

http://www.tafkac.org/faq2k/word_260.html

(linked from urbanlegends.com)

and

http://www.snopes2.com/business/names/crapper.htm

-- 
Jeff Carter
"Sheriff murdered, crops burned, stores looted,
people stampeded, and cattle raped."
Blazing Saddles