Toilet Signs in Poland and Continental Europe

Now I've stuck this in the off-topic because it is more related to Continental Europe in General as opposed to Poland. But what is the deal with the signs that are a circle for female and triangle for male. I know which one's which, but don't quite get why. So does anyone know the reasoning behind this?

It dates back to the zodiacs and spiritual readings masculine and feminine were denominated by various shapes on the tarrot cards, seeing as Poland and some other countries are fairly open minded about such things it just stuck.

Oh right, cheers, I've been wondering about that for ages!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet#Gender_and_public_toilets


Maybe it is just Poland?

Lithuania is even more confusing. Two triangles !
A triangle for females and an inverted triangle for males.

Seriously i totally bullshitted that, i dont really have a clue.

Bizarre, I was sure I had seen it in Germany as well.


Awesome haha, totally believed you as well!

So right, anyone have any idea why it's a triangle and a circle?

Although WB was just messing, I would not be surprised if it were linked to some sort of pagan fertility symbolism.

haha, not pagan!

The triangle is male and circle is female - imagine moving the triangle towards the circle, one enters the other (to be lewd) and there, it's obvious.

We kinda thought that it was so universal, like arrow pointing in the direction. The ideas resembles the modernist, utilitarian,or conceptual - whichever. It may have to do with overly educated students of the twenties translating the knowledge of anatomy, the shape of the pelvis, to symbols.

How do you know, smarty pants?
When did it originate?


There are several things about that that do not make sense, as far as phallic symbolisms go, the triangle is not typical.


So you do not know either, yet you are quick to laugh at others who make suggestions.


Possibly, although men's pelvises are smaller than women's.

That's what I was thinking, I would have thought a triangle was not very phallic at all.

I always assumed that in Lithuania the triangles were a very basic shape of the male and female.
The broad man's shoulders and the wider women's hips.

Whereas in Poland, I just do not go in to the one marked by a circle.

Why pick a circle and a triangle at all when they could have picked any from this selection? ;)
oddee.com/item_96744.aspx

Yes indeed, and I would say that all of those...for a tourist on a first trip...would be clear which is male/female/unisex bathrooms. I actually had to look in both the first time i was confronted with this signage to check which one had urinals (which has since become confusing as, on busy nights, you will see women coming out of there and vice versa). The exception on your list could be the WO-MEN sign, but the colour coding helps.

Hasn't anyoen seen ther M and D (męska - damska) letters on public loos in Poland? That syncs with the German Männer - Damen and French Messieurs - Dames.

I like it when they just put a picture of a girl and boy, no strange fancies like a tie and apron I've seen in some ruraly themed restaurants. I had a mate who was always tricking me into entering the wrong one..

That is fine for the West, but what about countries where women don't wear skirts? How do the locals there tell the difference?

I always liked the places that had a guy's face and a girls...that is pretty universal.

I feel we are straying wayyy off topic...there has to be a reason behind the shapes...now does anyone know what that might be?

This has baffled me for years. Every intelligent thought would make you think it was the other way round, but nope.

An afterthought. Could it have something to do with the shape of the toilets? Triangle for urinals and circle for toilets?