A slip of the dung
By most accounts, Thomas Crapper did not actually invent the flush toilet, but he did sell rather a lot of them in England, incorporating the latest improvements, which he may or may not have invented.
“Crapper” itself, as a surname, seems to be a variation on “Cropper”; it likely doesn’t have much to do with “crap,” which goes back a long way and can be expected to continue long into the future. (Apparently the first English citation for “crap” in its current definition is traceable to 1846, the year young Crapper turned ten, which would seem to relieve him of any responsibility for it.) Still, there’s some semi-fearful symmetry here, and John Bemelmans Marciano, in his book Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words (New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2009), advances this intriguing hypothesis:
It does seem fair to question, however, just how a plumbing-fixtures manufacturer came by so serendipitous a surname. Fate? Or was it a case of nominative determinism, in which Thomas’ surname steered him into his life’s work? Or did Thomas choose the name Crapper for professional advantage? That would show some serious dedication to marketing.
Inasmuch as there exists a baptismal record for the infant Thomas Crapper, I think we might be able to overlook that last possibility. Still, the possibility of “nominative determinism” has a certain weird delight to it, although it clearly has its limitations: for example, the late Dr Zoltan Ovary was not actually a gynecologist.
Otto Titzling, meanwhile, was not available for comment.
fillyjonk »
29 November 2009 · 2:40 pm
You know, I was really rather sad when I learned the truth about Titzling.
McGehee »
29 November 2009 · 10:50 pm
I’m just glad Thomas’ enterprise didn’t come a-cropper.
Dominic Small »
30 November 2009 · 7:33 am
Thing is, English people will buy any old crap. Or at least, I will…
Dr. Weevil »
30 November 2009 · 7:56 pm
I was assured by a gynaecologist’s wife whom I taught in college in the early ’90s that there were gynaecologists named Dr. Seymour Hyman in Ohio and Dr. Harry Beaver in the D.C. area. She knew them well. I already knew of the latter in the ’70s, in fact knew some of his patients. He was in the Northern Virginia yellow pages, which is solid evidence — you can put any name you want in the white pages, but the yellow pages are stricter. A quick Google suggests that he is still alive but perhaps retired. I can find no confirmation of Dr Hyman’s existence, though there was a deputy chancellor of CCNY with that name, also a Marcy and Seymour Hyman Foundation. Whether that makes one, or two, or three Seymour Hymans I do not know.
CGHill »
6 December 2009 · 2:07 pm
“Nominative determinism in action”: cell-phone photos of Cleveland Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore (not particularly safe for work).
(Suggested by The Nudist Comment.)