Where does “upper decker” come from?
upper decker (English) comes from English deck, from Middle English dekke, from Middle Dutch dec, from Middle Dutch decken, from Old Dutch thecken, from Proto-West Germanic þakkjan, from Proto-Germanic þakjaną, from Proto-Germanic þaką — to cover; pole, stick, beam.
upper decker (English): The prank of defecating in the cistern of a toilet, so that flushing the toilet brings in dirty water instead of clean
Definitions
- The prank of defecating in the cistern of a toilet, so that flushing the toilet brings in dirty water instead of clean
Ancestry of “upper decker”, step by step
upper decker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English deck
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | deck | Any raised flat surface that can be walked on: a... |
| 2 | Middle English | dekke | — |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | dec | roof, covering |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | decken | to roof, to build/repair a roof; to cover; to... |
| 5 | Old Dutch | thecken | to cover; to roof |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | þakkjan | to cover; to burn |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | þakjaną | to cover; to burn |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | þaką | roof, cover |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)teg- | to cover; pole, stick, beam |