Contrary to popular belief, the word “porcelain” is not derived from the fact that it’s made by pulverizing the bones of a porcupine and a lion together in an unholy mix. That’s merely a coincidence. No, the name itself comes from the fact that the majority of the world’s porcelain is used to make bathroom features like sinks, tubs, and toilets. The inventor of porcelain lived in a seafaring town high in the North Atlantic Ocean. When his daughter learned of his plan to industrialize his concoction of animal bones for the purpose of routing human waste to sea, her response was, “Poor sea lions.”
Of course, she was still learning to properly enunciate, so the words kind of mushed together. So, like any good father, instead of asking her to repeat herself for clarity, he assumed she made up a cute name for his invention and immediately adopted it.
