What Is the Correct Way to Hang Toilet Paper? Does the Patent Settle the Debate?
(Commonplace Fun Facts) - As humans, we can agree to disagree about certain things. Politics. Money. Whether business emails with emojis should be read or immediately consigned to the spam folder.
Then there are the really divisive topics that threaten to break up homes, tear apart friendships, and end meaningful relationships before they even start. We refer, of course, to the age-old debate about the correct way to hang toilet paper.
One side insists that the loose end must hang over the front of the roll, where it can be seen and easily grasped. The other believes it should hang underneath, pressed against the wall like a fugitive attempting to avoid identification.
Then there is a third group: people who tear off the last piece from the cardboard tube, leave it on the holder, and place the new roll on top of the toilet tank. These people do not get a vote in the debate since they have rejected civilization altogether.
At first glance, it would appear the debate was settled by the man who created one of civilization’s most important technological advancements. The drawing on the 1891 patent application seems to…
