Toilet papering

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Toilet papering is, as its name suggests, the act of covering an object (usually a tree, house, or other structure of similar size) with toilet paper. This is typically done by throwing numerous toilet paper rolls in such a way that they unroll in mid-air and thus fall on the targeted object in multiple streams.

Toilet papering, also called TP'ing or Yard Rolling, has become a popular tradition in the United States, and usually takes place after the completion of a school's homecoming football game, as well as on Halloween, though it is not restricted to these dates in any way.

It is often done in small groups, and these groups will usually target certain houses and toilet paper the entire yard. The mess is usually relatively easy to clean, but rainfall can cause the toilet paper to become soggy and sticky, making cleanup more difficult and troublesome.

Toilet papering is technically an act of vandalism, but many people, especially those in small communities, allow their houses to be toilet papered on homecoming night and are not concerned with reporting it to the police. Many communities have experienced problems, however, with other activities that often accompany toilet papering, such as egging and creaming, which can actually cause serious property damage. As a result, toilet papering itself has been labeled in recent years as a dangerous activity, and many communities are tightening restrictions on it, ordering that stores not sell toilet paper to adolescents starting a week or so before the homecoming game, and making sure that police are actively scanning the streets on homecoming night to find potential toilet paperers and confiscate their materials.

Yet toilet papering can be used not just to celebrate homecomings, sometimes toilet papering are used after graduations, along with the typical shoe polishing of cars. It can also be done as a joke, or as a somewhat malicious (yet generally harmless) prank. Teachers, friends, school buildings, and other figures are popular targets for toilet-paperers.

Also toilet papering can be a rite of passage. When a group TP's a person's house, it is that group accepting the person's house is being TP'd into their group or circle of friends.

In terms of usage, it can also be used as a verb — for example: "Dude, Charlie got toilet-papered so bad!"