I have come across several different answers as to the etymology of this phrase. Some of the answers included Elvis, Spock, Christ, Freud, and Newton. I somehow doubt any of these are the correct answer. It appears to have been a popular graffiti in the old theaters and has carried on ever since. Possibly the origin will remain unknown. It is linked to the term 'spend a penny'.
SPEND A PENNY phrase. 1. To go to the toilet. The phrase has its origins in the days when most toilet stalls in the LOO had locks which would only open after a penny had been inserted. As in this graffiti,
Here I sit broken hearted,
Paid a penny and only (passed gas).
or
Definition of torture: Standing outside a LOO with a bent penny.
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