Word History 101... SHIT!

Here is an interesting fact you should know. I was once told that this was a word of nautical origin, but never knew the story behind it. Thought you might like to expand your field of general knowledge.

Authoritative sources rarely agree on the origin of most words. Sometimes, it can be as simple as the following explanation:

Manure: In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship and it was also before commercial fertilizer's invention, so large shipments of manure were common.

It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, it not only became heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, a by-product of which is methane gas.

As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could (and did) happen. Methane began to build up below decks and the first time someone came below at night with a lantern, there was a significant BOOOOM! ...and lots of floating wood shards..

Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening..

After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the term 'Ship High In Transit' on them, which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.

Thus evolved the term ' S.H.I.T. ' (Ship High In Transit), which has gained official "word" status, and has come down through the centuries and is still in use to this very day.

You probably did not know the true history of this word. Neither did I. I had just always thought it was adapted as a golf term!

Yeah, I know... Sounds like so much bullshit!