disameliorative effect of euphemisms

[James A. Landau]

The story about Thomas Crapper appeared in

Wallace Reyburn _Flushed with Pride: The Story of Thomas Crapper._  published
originally in 1969, at least one reprint( London: Pavilion Books Limited,
1989.), now out of print.

Reyburn published at least one book that was a hoax, namely _Bust-up: the
uplifting tale of Otto Titzling and the development of the bra_ in which he
claims the brassiere was invented by a man named "Titzling" (!) whose idea
was stolen by a marketer named "Philippe de Brassiere".

The two books are quite similar in style and layout.  Since _Bust-up_ is a
hoax, I can only assume that so is _Flushed with pride_.

In some long-forgotten source I read that there is a British plumbing firm
named "Thomas Crapper and Sons", and that Reyburn, seeing the obvious pun,
turned it into a book-length tall tale.

       - Jim Landau