After reading about "Toilet paper", I am sure you are interested in knowing more about the other items that are equally important for our personal hygiene. "What Is It" in this issue will test your knowledge on this world's most visited place ¡V the washroom!
1. Since we just looked at toilet paper, let's start with this question! What
proportion of the world nowadays uses toilet paper?
| 30% |
Answer:
30%. Only 30% of the world uses toilet paper! Alternatives include hands, water, sand, small rocks, mud, leaves, and rope [1]. |
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| 40% | ||||
| 50% | ||||
| 60% |
2. How much was the world's most expensive washroom (in USD)?
| $500,000 |
Answer:
US $3.5 million. It is actually built in HK, in 2001! With the toilet made from 24-carat gold, the washroom cost $27 million HK, or $3.5 million US. Its ceiling and walls are decorated with emerald, ruby, and other precious stones [1]. |
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| $1.5 million | ||||
| $2.5 million | ||||
| $3.5 million |
3. How long was the longest urinal ever built?
| 20 metres |
Answer:
88 metres. The longest urinal was installed for the 25th anniversary of the New York City Marathon. It was 88m long and was placed at the starting point of the race. However, after one day of service it was dismantled [4]. |
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| 45 metres | ||||
| 73 metres | ||||
| 88 metres | ||||
| 102 metres |
4. What does W. C. stands for?
| Washing Chamber |
Answer:
Water Closet. Water Closet was invented by Sir John Harrington in 1596. He was the godson of Queen Elizabeth I. However, he was ridiculed at that time for such an invention. And only two were built, one for him, one for the Queen. Nobody tried to build another water closet until 200 years later, by Alexander Cummings [3]. |
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| Waste Care | ||||
| Water Closet | ||||
| Wash & Clean | ||||
5. Usually the bathroom, similar to the kitchen, is considered to be the female's
territory in a house. Actually, female spends about ______ more time in the washroom
than male.
| Twice |
Answer:
Three times [8]. Yet, public washrooms are usually the same size for both male and female, causing unnecessarily long line-ups outside the female washrooms. |
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| Three times | ||||
| Four Times | ||||
6. Who is Thomas Crapper?
| A toymaker |
Answer:
A Toilet maker. Thomas Crapper is often associated with the invention of a modern flush toilet. He himself did not involve in design or invention of modern toilet, but he made the first showroom of a modern "indoor" bathroom concept. This move made a shock to the public, who considered toilet indoor totally unhygienic[5]. |
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| The inventor of flush toilet | ||||
| A toilet maker | ||||
| The author of "Flushed With Pride" |
7. Which of the following words does not refer to a toilet fixture?
| W. C. |
Answer:
All of the above refers to a toilet fixture. W.C. is used mainly in Britain. Thomas Crapper was a famous manufacturer of plumbing fixtures, and thus the word "Crapper" is named after him. Although the word, "lavatory" originally refers to the sink, not the toilet, it is used commonly nowadays to refer to the toilet, the sink and the washroom. "Commode" is a French word, meaning convenience. Besides the meaning of a toilet, "throne" also represents a seat of authority and dignity[6]. I suppose visiting the toilet is a sacred business after all, isn't it?. |
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| Crapper | ||||
| Lavatory | ||||
| Throne | ||||
| Commode | ||||
| All of the above words refer to a toilet fixture. | ||||
8. Which one of these words does not refer to the washroom facility?
| John |
Answer:
All of the above refers to the washroom facility. I believe, since it is such an essential part of life, for everyone, everyday, everywhere, many words and variations are used. Other words such as the "loo", "jakes", "lav", "convenience" (British), "comfort station", etc., also refer to the washroom facility[6]. |
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| Outhouse | |||||
| Powder Room | |||||
| Privy | |||||
| Latrine | |||||
| All of the above words refer to the washroom facility | |||||
9. What is the main ingredient in a bar of soap?
| Salt |
Answer:
Oil. Oil is the grease, and oil is the soap. The same ingredient that makes us all greasy is the same ingredient that we clean ourselves with. Soap is made by combining a fat source (either animal fats or vegetable oils) and with an alkali in a chemical process called saponification [7]. A rather big word to know.... |
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| Wax | ||||
| Oil | ||||
| Water |
10. Who invented a toothbrush with bristles?
| The British |
Answer:
The Chinese. The toothbrush was invented in China in 1498, by the Chinese Emperor. He used wild boar bristles embedded in a bone or a bamboo handle. In the 1600's, European travellers bought this invention into Europe, where the bristles were replaced by horse hair. Before this, Westerners cleaned their teeth with toothpicks made of gold, silver and feathers. |
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| The Germans | ||||
| The Egyptians | ||||
| The Chinese | ||||
11. Bonus Question: Which of the following items can you not
live without?
| Toothbrush |
Answer:
Any choice is correct. O well, I asked for your opinion, so there is no incorrect answer. However, in a recent survey conduct by MIT, participants were asked the same question. The toothbrush ruled out the car, the computer, the cellphone, and the microwave in that order as the most essential invention [2]. But if I had the choice, I would choose the toilet! |
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| Cellphone | ||||
| Microwave Oven | ||||
| Personal Computer | ||||
| Car |
I hope you enjoyed the quiz and now you know a bit more about the washroom. Let me conclude this quiz with a fact: an average person spent three years of his/her life in the washroom [8] . Make an effort to keep it clean; we are actually spending five percent of our lives in there!
| [1] | "Most Expensive Washroom." Guiness World Record 2003 http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/index.asp?id=56573 |
| [2] | "2003 Invention Index." Lemelson-MIT Program: Press Releases. http://web.mit.edu/invent/n-pressreleases/n-press-03index.html |
| [3] | The Man That Made the Water Closet." Plumbing and Mechanical. July 2000. http://www.pmmag.com/pm/cda/articleinformation/features/bnp__features__item/0,,6740,00+en-uss_01dbc.html |
| [4] | "Useless Facts: United States". Useless Facts. http://facts.330.ca/usa/ |
| [5] | "Who Invented the W.C." Thomas Crapper & Co. Ltd. http://www.thomas-crapper.com/history05.htm |
| [6] | Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com |
| [7] | Seigel-Maier, Karyn. "Becoming Clean." Better Nutrition. Feb. 2001. http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0FKA/2_63/78476727/p1/article.jhtml |
| [8] | "Do You Know?" World Toilet Organisation. http://www.worldtoilet.org/doyou/doyou.htm |