Have you ever seen the letters WC on a sign outside a public bathroom and wondered what they stand for?
If you have, you’re not the only one! People everywhere are curious about what WC means, which is a sign for a room that has a toilet and a sink.
We’ll explain what WC stands for, but we can’t guarantee it will make more sense than words like restroom, bathroom, or loo.
In 2020, a couple named Shelby and Dylan posted a TikTok video that showed a funny difference between how some Americans and Canadians refer to their bathrooms.
Dylan walks by a sign that says “washroom” and asks, “What in the world is a washroom?” He then wonders, “And what are they washing in there? Oh, it’s a restroom. The only thing I wash in there is my hands,” he tells Shelby.
Off-camera, Shelby can be heard asking: “Do you rest in a restroom?”
That’s a valid observation. Neither of them really makes a lot of sense, Dylan chimes in.
People online started sharing their thoughts in the comments about what they like to call the special room.
“Some people call it a bathroom, others say restroom, washroom, or toilet,” one user points out.
Another commenter shared a funny story about their trip to Disneyland, saying they “asked for the washroom” and ended up being directed to the laundromat!
A third person joked, “Just wait until he learns about water closets.”
Water closet
According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, a “water closet” is a noun that means “a room or space that has a toilet” or “a toilet bowl and its parts.”
In the past, when people went to the bathroom, it was mostly to take a bath. If someone used a restroom, it was usually to relax or get ready for the day by using the sink and mirror.
Finally, if you needed to go to the bathroom, you would use the toilet in the water closet.
Depending on where you are in the world, the room with the toilet can be called different names like the loo, restroom, bathroom, washroom, lavatory, or WC.
These days, you can frequently spot signs that say WC in places like airports, restaurants, and hotels. This is just a different way to refer to a restroom or bathroom, but it tends to be used in a more formal way, especially in areas that serve people from all over the world.
History of the WC
Before the 19th century in America, having an indoor toilet was something only rich people could afford. Most folks had to use outhouses or other outdoor places for their bathroom needs. Even though many homes had “bathrooms” for taking baths, these rooms usually didn’t have toilets in them. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that indoor plumbing started to become popular, especially with the introduction of the water closet around 1890. These water closets were separate from the bathing areas.
It took until the early 1900s for the modern bathroom, which combined both a bathtub and a toilet in one space, to become the norm. While this setup was a smart way to save space and make plumbing easier, it did make privacy a bit harder, especially when sharing the bathroom with others.
Over time, the term “water closet” changed to mean a small, private room within a bigger bathroom that was just for the toilet. These water closets often had a little sink for washing hands, making them handy and self-sufficient.
People on Reddit were trying to figure out why public restrooms are called bathrooms when there’s no bath in them. One user pointed out that Americans might wonder why it’s called a water closet if it’s not really a closet. They explained that in the U.S., “bathroom” or “restroom” is the common way to say “room with a toilet,” while other countries use terms like “WC,” “lavatory,” or “loo.”
Another user mentioned that in Russian, it’s called “a room without windows,” even if there is a window. Someone else added that in Esperanto, it’s called “necesejo,” which means “necessary place.”
Other Reddit users talked about the differences between washroom, bathroom, and restroom. One person noted that in Canada, people often say “washroom.” Another user from the Midwest said that “washroom” is pretty common there, but “bathroom” or “restroom” are used the most.
One commenter joked that “washroom” is the best term because you should be washing in there, not just resting.
What do you think about the term WC? What do you call the room with the toilet? We’d love to hear your opinions, so please share this story to get more thoughts from others!