The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 22, June 3, 2007, Article 15

QUIZ ANSWER: SPEND A PENNY

Last week I asked, "When used in euphemistic terms, what does the
phrase 'Spend a Penny' mean, and how did it first arise?"

Tom DeLorey writes: "That's an old one. Pay toilets took one of the
large British pennies, so if you got up and told your mates you were
off to "Spend a Penny," it meant you were on the way to the 'loo'."

NBS President Pete Smith writes: "I believe the phrase, 'spend a penny'
is a euphemism for using a (public) toilet.  Sorry I can't stay and
chat, but I've got to go see a man about a horse."

Joe Boling, Ginger Rapsus and Ron Abler had the correct answer as well.
Bob Lyall adds: "Sadly, inappropriate activity has caused many such
public toilets to be closed down."

Martin Purdy of New Zealand writes: "I believe a penny was the price
one paid to use a pay toilet when they were first introduced.  Last
time I was at Heathrow the price was 20 (new) pence, so the price has
gone up 48-fold (1 decimal penny = 2.4 predecimal ones) in the meantime!"

Gar Travis forwarded the following definition from a U.K. phrases web
site:  "This refers to the (former) use of coin operated locks on public
toilets. It was used mostly in the UK and mostly by women (men's urinals
were free of charge).

"Such locks were first introduced, at a public toilet outside the Royal
Exchange, London, in the 1850s. The term itself is later though. The
first recorded citation of it is in H. Lewis's Strange Story, 1945:

"'Us girls,' she said, 'are going to spend a penny!'

Dennis Tucker adds: "In response to your recent Quiz Question, I hadn't
heard this expression, either, until very recently, and courtesy of
fellow Yankee Kenneth Bressett.

"Ken has written a wonderful new book called 'Milestone Coins: A Pageant
of the World's Most Significant and Popular Money'. It is at the press
now and will debut at the ANA World's Fair of Money in August.

"In one of the book's essays, Ken discusses phrases and terms with
numismatic origins ("filthy lucre," "pin money," "pass the buck,"
etc.). Among other examples, he offers this:

"In England the admonition 'Spend a penny' means do not be frugal---
just do it and spend the money. The expression originated with the
public toilets that charged a penny toll to open the lock on the doors."

www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/spend-a-penny.html

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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