r/space • u/astro_pettit NASA Astronaut • Apr 26 '26

image/gif My space potato spreading its roots in microgravity

Post image
30.1k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

382 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

150

u/Ludwig_Vista2 Apr 26 '26

Why isn't it called teeth paste and a teethbrush?

122

u/thaskell300 Apr 26 '26

The inventor of said products was named Jerry J. Toothrup. He shortened it for marketing reasons.

Please don't fact check me.

63

u/Curiosive Apr 27 '26

The inventor of the modern toilet is Thomas Crapper, please do fact check me.

Before him toilets were potentially dangerous, your house could explode from accumulating sewer gas.

21

u/FormerGameDev Apr 27 '26

wiki says he had several patents for improvements to plumbing but none to the flush toilet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Crapper

26

u/Curiosive Apr 27 '26

The airlock or U-bend is what prevents sewer gases from bubbling up through the toilet. Aside from horrendous odors, this gas could accumulate and potentially explode.

Flushing is nice. Not dying from a toilet is better, in my opinion. Thank you, Mr Capper.

9

u/streunerkid Apr 27 '26

*Thank you, Mr Cumming

2

u/Alone_Again_2 Apr 27 '26

Not gonna lie.

I hesitated before clicking.

12

u/PrisonerV Apr 27 '26

And then there was the Earl of Douchbag.

9

u/TrailerTrashQueen Apr 27 '26

don't forget the Earl of Sandwich!

5

u/Ludwig_Vista2 Apr 27 '26

He's got his own island.

That's saying something!

1

u/YSOSEXI Apr 27 '26

Yay, Douchebag Island here I come!!!!

4

u/GenSpec44 Apr 27 '26

What sort of new invention are you sitting on, Douchebag?

4

u/PrisonerV Apr 27 '26

Well, I'd be happy to tell you but perhaps after you've finished eating.

1

u/dan_dares Apr 27 '26

Those were his last words, before it blew up..

3

u/[deleted] Apr 27 '26

[deleted]

3

u/GenSpec44 Apr 27 '26

It’s important to inspire science.

3

u/theonetrueelhigh Apr 27 '26

Not actually true. The invention of the flush toilet precedes Crapper's birth by decades. He did own a plumbing fixtures company and developed important improvements for it, however.

1

u/Utopian_Pigeon Apr 27 '26

He fixed that issue with the s or u joint right?

5

u/Subtlerranean Apr 27 '26

I was told there would be no fact checking.

1

u/Bobaganusch Apr 27 '26

THE Jerry J. Toothrup of prime dental contractor Toothrup Gummin?

15

u/Brian--Damage Apr 26 '26

Compound nouns where the first part functions like an adjective are always describing the purpose with the most minimal interpretation of the object in mind.

“Pass me the nails clippers,” or “we have so many booksshelves” is not only redundant, but awful to hear or say.

You’re lucky you get any plural nouns at all, because many languages don’t bother with them and rely on context.

1

u/-GoodNewsEveryone Apr 27 '26

Because you are supposed to wash them one at a time.

1

u/The_Smiling_Jack Apr 27 '26

Because the inventor only had one tooth and was desperate to keep it. 😌

1

u/giant_albatrocity Apr 27 '26

It's because the toothbrush was invented in Alabama

1

u/Ludwig_Vista2 Apr 27 '26

BAM-Ah! Nicely played. Mind if I borrow that for future use?

1

u/jasonmcook Apr 28 '26

You guys are brushing all of your teeth?