crap¹

v.

"defecate," 1846, from one of a cluster of words generally applied to things cast off or discarded (e.g. "weeds growing among corn" (early 15c.), "residue from renderings" (late 15c.), underworld slang for "money" (18c.), and in Shropshire, "dregs of beer or ale"), all probably from Middle English crappe "grain that was trodden underfoot in a barn, chaff" (mid-15c.), from Middle French crape "siftings," from Old French crappe, from Medieval Latin crappa, crapinum "chaff." Related: Crapped; crapping.

Despite folk etymology insistence, not from Thomas Crapper (1837-1910) who was, however, a busy plumber and may have had some minor role in the development of modern toilets. The name Crapper is a northern form of Cropper (attested from 1221), an occupational surname, obviously, but the exact reference is unclear.

n.

"act of defecation," 1898; see crap (v.). Sense of "rubbish, nonsense" also first recorded 1898.

1

Burden or clutter up, as in Jane crapped up the garden with plastic pink flamingos. [c. 1946]

2

Ruin or foul up, as in I've really crapped up this speech; can I just start over again? This idiom employs crap in the sense of “defecate.” [Vulgar slang; c. 1950]

In addition to the idioms beginning with crap

• crap around
• crap out
• crap up

also see:

• cut the comedy (crap)
• full of crap