Manure…The True Story

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, at that time it was called a load of
Berrier, by the sailors.

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, of which a by product 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, BOOOOM!

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 Transport) which has
come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day.

You probably did not know the true history of this word.

Neither did I.

And BrianK always thought it was a golf term.

That was interesting.

What,fisherman did’nt invent that word? Learn something everyday,thanx Bret.

Funny story but it is not true.
http://www.snopes.com/

This means I will have to watch who I let in my boat , because some people are full of it.

If I remember my college days correctly, I think the origin of many of the swear words are old english. It had something to do with the Normans taking over England and therefore making French the language of the elites and enlgish the language of the commoners. Over time as English evolved words used by the commoners in the old times were viewed as dirty or swear words. This also why we have the word venison for deer meat. The french word for deer meat was venison and the servants in the castle would call deer meat venison as opposed to deer meat. Overtime English adopted the word venison to describe deer meat. This also describes beef, poultry etc. Something to think about. I’m done playing professor now.

Sounds like we’re playing a game of Balderdash.

Pete

Bret, you really know your SH**!

Thanks Bret I will sleep alot better now.Only on IDA will you find info like this .

The word s**t entered modern English language derived from the Old English nouns scite and the Middle Low German schite, both meaning “dung,” and the Old English noun scitte, meaning “diarrhea.” Our most treasured cuss word has been with us a long time, showing up in written works both as a noun and as a verb as far back as the 14th century.

Scite can trace its roots back to the proto-Germanic root skit-, which brought us the German scheisse, Dutch schijten, Swedish skita, and Danish skide. Skit- comes from the Indo-European root skheid- for “split, divide, separate,” thus s**t is distantly related to schism and schist. (If you’re wondering what a verb root for the act of separating one thing from another would have to do with excrement, it was in the sense of the body’s eliminating its waste — “separating” from it, so to speak. Sort of the opposite of today’s “getting one’s s**t together.”)

Gee guys thanks……………………………….ummmm……………..I think

Sounds like Cliff Claven. “well Sammy it’s a well known fact”

I love the internet.

Anyone can post any bull $#*& (Ship High In Transport) they want.