Where did ?piss poor? come from ?

[ClaudiusB]

Where did ?piss poor? come from ?
We older people need to learn something new every day..
just to keep the grey matter tuned up.

Where did "Piss Poor" come from?
Interesting History.

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot and then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery...

.if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor".

But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot...
they "didn't have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low.

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.

[Austin]

I was told this a lot as a kid "Be thankful you have a pot to piss in.".

I guess I was an ungrateful youth?

[MRB]

It was really bad if you didn't have a pot to piss in nor a window to throw it out of.

[teaberryeagle]

Do you really want to know what a "piss pot" is???............
Take it from the experienced......we were "poor", but we did
have "a pot to piss in".......we didn't have indoor plumbing when
I was growing up (was already in the Air Force before we got
indoor plumbing.....had to carry all the water from a "spring"
which was located, usually not closer than probably two hundred
plus feet from the house...and, carried it in two, two and a half
gallon galvanized "water buckets") so we had to walk to an "outhouse",
you know, the one with the "moon" carved into the door and which was
also a couple hundred feet from the house. So, during the night, instead of
disturbing others in the house, if you had to go to the "toilet", as we
also called it, we just reached under the bed for the "piss pot" (of
course the real name for it is "Chamber Pot") and urinated into it and
it would then be thrown out the next day. Of course, we wouldn't refer to
it as a "piss pot" in front of "company"..............
Here's how it evolved through the centuries.......
https://www.google.com/search?q=cham...w=1074&bih=559

I just ran across this and it pretty much explains it and with included photos....

Side Trips: A POT TO PISS IN

Here's a photo of what ours looked like.......and the 10 quart (two and a half gallon) water buckets (Pails)......

[Austin]

I never understood the point of the crescent moon.

Can you explain it?

[teaberryeagle]

Originally Posted by Austin

I never understood the point of the crescent moon.

Can you explain it?

Had to do a little "googling" to find out myself......so, here's what may make sense....
and, here's the last one I came into contact with, on a rental property...the owner said
it belonged to his deceased Dad and he removed it while I was there...

https://www.google.com/search?q=cres...w=1074&bih=534

> Why are there crescent moons carved on outhouse doors?

Answer:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_are_there_crescent_moons_carved_on_outhouse_do ors

Outhouse Crescent Moons
Probably the most recognizable symbol associated symbol with the traditional outhouse building is the familiar crescent moon carved into the privy door. Actually, the symbol is an ancient one, and was a sign for womanhood in colonial days and on the frontier. It's male counterpart, Sol, was either a star or a sun burst design also on the door. Since most male outhouses fell into disrepair rather quickly they seldom survived; while the female ones were better maintained, and were eventually used by both sexes. Although you can find outhouses still standing with the crescent moon, the original meaning for gender identification was lost by the later nineteenth century in most areas of the country.



Carved crescent moons and stars on outhouse doors was introduced in early 19th century America. Typically, the moon and the star together represented a unisex outhouse, while the moon alone represented a women's outhouse. A star alone represented a men's outhouse.

Read more: Why are there crescent moons carved on outhouse doors

Here's a little "trivia" from the following link......I remember the term "KYBO" well from attending Boy Scout Camp, way back when....go ahead and sing it to the song "Downtown" as noted....

Outhouse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The term "kybo" is popular within the Scout Movement worldwide. The term "kybo" may have originated at the Farm and Wilderness Camps in Vermont where it came from the coffee cans (Kybo brand coffee) that held the lye or more often lime used to keep odor to a minimum. It was only after Kybo coffee (Motto: a cup full of satisfaction) was no longer available and the cans were no longer used that folks began to come up with other possible reasons for the term "kybo". The word is believed by some to have originated as an acronym for "Keep Your Bowels Open"[3] although this may be a backronym. An interesting aside is that toilet paper is often referred to as "Kybo Tape" or "Kybo Wrap". The term appears in summer camp folklore as a parody of "Downtown":

When you are sleepy and it's time to go peepee there's a place to go... kybo

When you are droopy and it's time to go poopy there's a place to go... kybo

Just listen to the rhythm of the froggies in the toilet,

Even though it's smelly I am sure you will enjoy it

The lights are not on in there,

but you forget all your worries,

Forget all your cares in the kybo

Is not it fun to go... kybo

[Austin]

The same thing holds true to this day with men's restrooms.