The alt.usage.english FAQ   

• "crap"

  (Word Origins)
  
  "Crap" does not derive from Thomas Crapper. Thomas Crapper (1837-1910) did exist and did make toilets. (At least 3 authors have gone into print asserting he was a hoax, but you can see some of his toilets at the Gladstone Pottery Museum, They also have a page specifically on Thomas Crapper myths.
  
  The word "crap" was imported into English from Dutch in the 15th century, with the meaning "chaff". It is recorded in the sense "to defecate" from 1846; Thomas Crapper did not set up his business until 1861. Also, Thomas Crapper did not "invent" the flush toilet (the ancient Minoans had them); he merely improved the design.
  
  The Crapper company lived on until 1966 -- 105 years in business. See the article "Thomas Crapper: Myth & Reality" from the June 1993 issue of _Plumbing and Mechanical_ at http://www.theplumber.com/crapper.html. You can see some photographs of Thomas Crapper at http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/1093/Thomas_Crapper.html.
  
  Source: [Mark Israel, 'Word Origins: "crap"', The alt.usage.english FAQ file,(line 3357), (29 Sept 1997)]
  
  
  
  

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