How did the name John become the name for a Toilet?

[Polar Bear]

A coworker just told me that he needs to go "Visit the John"

I've heard this expression many times and never really thought about it. Anyone have any idea how this expression started?

[Phatferd]

I think the man who invented the toilet was named John...Could be wrong.

[Art Vandelay]

I believe his name was John Harrington. Invented the first flush toilet.

[Mookie4ever]

Strange coincidence but his name was Tommy John.

[Simulacrum]

I heard the inventor of the toilet was John Crapper. Seriously.

[curious_george_43545]

That's why you don't invent things you poo in.... wish I was the guy that invented the vibrator would have named it after myself.

[StlSluggers]

I heard John Crapper, too.

Thomas Crapper did not invent all of the flush toilet — some credit for that is usually given to Sir John Harington in 1596, with Alexander Cummings' 1775 toilet regarded as the first of the modern line and George Jennings installing the first public toilets at The Great Exhibition in 1851 — but he did help increase its popularity. He was a shrewd businessman, salesman and self-publicist. In a time when bathroom fixtures were barely spoken of, he heavily promoted sanitary plumbing and pioneered the concept of the bathroom fittings showroom.
...
Crapper held nine patents, three of them for water closet improvements such as the floating ballcock, but none were for the flush toilet itself. Thomas Crapper's advertisements implied the syphonic flush was his invention — one having the text "Crapper's Valveless Water Waste Preventer (Patent #4,990) One moveable part only" — but patent 4990 (for a minor improvement to the water waste preventer) was not his, but that of Albert Giblin in 1898.

Be glad it wasn't that Alexander guy. That would have changed sexual terminology as we know it.

[Polar Bear]

That is cool. The name John Crapper explains quite a bit.

Too bad that guy is also associated with the feces that come out of the human ass and not just his invention.

[Phatferd]

That is cool. The name John Crapper explains quite a bit.

Too bad that guy is also associated with the feces that come out of the human ass and not just his invention.

You should think about working for Hallmark.

[JTWood]

That is cool. The name John Crapper explains quite a bit.

Too bad that guy is also associated with the feces that come out of the human ass and not just his invention.

You should think about working for Hallmark.

lmao... that's great.

A jester icon for you, I say!