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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Lifestyle
Anita McSorley & Julia Banim

People stunned after learning what WC actually stands for - and real meaning of 'the jacks'

We all use acronyms on a daily basis and while most are common knowledge, there are others many people never bothered to learn the meaning behind.

An example of this is NASA, which actually means National Aeronautics and Space Administration for those wondering.

It comes as social media users have been left flabbergasted after learning the true meaning behind a WC toilet sign.

READ MORE: Ireland weather: Met Eireann's five-day forecast shows arrival of stunning Bank Holiday sunshine for three areas

It's a common sight in public places and often printed on toilet doors - and there's a fascinating insight into its history.

In response to an online query about what the term WC actually means, a history buff explained that the letters actually stand for water closet.

This phrase was used to spare blushes back in the early days of public bathrooms.

Taking to Quora, they explained: "In the 19th Century, the word toilet was not uttered in polite society, nor were the bodily functions associated with the use of a toilet.

"In order to avoid that, the term 'water closet' was invented to describe the then-new flush lavatory, particularly in public places. The acronym WC was seen as being far enough from its function to be uttered, albeit with some embarrassment and reticence."

Some people were amazed to discover the real meaning, with one person admitting they had assumed it had stood for wheelchair.

Another wrote: "I can't believe I've been living with a WC sign and had no idea why it was called WC."

A third commented: "I'm glad someone asked because I've been wondering this for years but never Googled it."

Meanwhile, many Irish people refer to toilets as 'the jacks' but a lot don't know why. The term is apparently a reference to businessman Jack Power, who lived in the 1800s.

Supposedly a father of 38 children, he had a task on his hands managing simultaneous bathroom visits. He is credited with inventing the first multi-toilet cubicles so that his family could more efficiently use the toilet at the same time.

According to foreignlingo, toilet cubicles then became commonplace in Ireland and eventually spread to the rest of the world.

These were originally referred to as 'jacks' simply because of their association with Jack Power, and the name stuck.

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