The things you learn on the OED [was: NPR]

[Joel S. Berson]

Apparently known from 1945, before post-war inflation.  The authority
(pace Wilson) says:

With allusion to the (former) price of admission to public toilets.
1945 H. LEWIS Strange Story iv. 27 'Us girls,' she said, 'are going
to spend a penny!' [And so on.]

Joel

At 9/1/2010 10:22 AM, Eric Nielsen wrote:
>Boy, that phrase must have some history. I'm sure a coin-op loo is well over
>thrupence by now.
>
>Eric
>
>On Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 10:13 AM, Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at bellsouth.net>wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at BELLSOUTH.NET>
> > Subject:      The things you learn on NPR
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Apparently to "spend a penny" is to "use the toilet" in England, or at =
> > least in and around Norfolk.
> >
> > To appropriate a phrase from Wilson, "Youneverknow"

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