Out with the "WC"

Beijing and Shanghai are getting rid of "WCs". Well, not the actual facilities but more so the term. By the end of 2009, "WC", short for water closet, an English term for the washroom, will no longer be seen on Shaghai's 3,781 public toilets.

And Chinese media says Beijing will also launch a campaign to use better English on signs for public facilities ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games, especially in public toilets, where "WC" has been long used.

Many signs using "WC" can still be seen in Shanghai, but officials have been working since last year to change the labels.

In many Western countries the term "WC" is no longer used. Chinese officials feel "WC," is a slang term that's not elegant or polite, according to earlier reports.