~History Of A Word~

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~The History Of A Word~

In the 16th and 17th centuries, before the invention of commercial fertilizer,

everything had to be transported by ship. Therefore, 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, 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, " 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. I always thought it was a golf term.