09/12/2026
Though there is evidence of modern day plumbing dating back to the ancient romans, most homes in the developed world did not acquire what we know today as indoor toilets until the 20th century. From the lack of indoor plumbing we have coined a few phrases that we still use today.
Going "potty", a phrase often used by the children of todays society dates back to the 18th-19th century. Eras that shared development along the same lines as popular shows such as Bridgerton, Game of Thrones, and many more, where we see the use of chamber pots regularly. So the use of the word "potty', as you can imagine, might be much easier for young children to pronounce in their youth than "Chamber Pot".
Another term, most notably used in the musical marvel that is Hamilton in the line "without a pot to p**s in". The phrase used in the song Stay Alive is used a derogatory shot made at Charles Lee after his failure to meet expectations and his demotion from in his role as a general in the fight against the British. Usually meant to highlight a low point in one's financial state, the original use of the phrase was meant to reference the societal differences between the wealthy and the poor. Wealthy people typically had fine china or ceramic pottery to use as chamber pots. The lower classes that used whatever was available at the time such as paint cans, old cookware or simple buckets, hence the phrase "A pot to p**s in".
All this to be said, looking at the meaning behind these phrases might make us more grateful for the modern advances we've seen towards indoor plumbing today.
