An interesting fact. Learn something new every day……………..
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, of which a byproduct 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.
I had always thought it was a golf term.
...and lets not forget about For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge! But that's a different lesson.
8 comments:
I'm just having a hard time believing if this is just plain shit, or bullshit. At any rate, it's pretty good shit.
I'm going to pass this shit along to someone so they might think I'm smart shit...
lol
it was some awesome shit info
shit hey..
That's an urban myth; not the manure ships exploding but the derivation of the word.
Like GOLF was supposedly derived from ' Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden'.
Interestingly though, the inventors of 'golf' wanted to call the game 'fuck' but it was already taken...
Ryan, shit travels all the way around the world before the truth can even get out of the starting gate.
DayDreamer, I thought it was shit worth sharing.
Ute, shit indeed.
Fingers, I've never heard that one about golf, but I'm not surprised. You heard the one about "rule of thumb" supposedly being about English law governing men beating their wives? Yeah, more bullshit. You know, ironically enough, I think most people call golf 'fuck' sooner or later.
Yeah, the word "shit" dates back at least to the 14th century: http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/shit.asp
Pretty good story though.
The rule of thumb is said to derive from the three things that you could beat with a stick no thicker than a man's thumb.
A servant, an ash tree, a donkey, a horse, and a woman.
Dude, I did not know that.
Anon, that myth was created by a feminist during a speech and it was disproven. Hence, it is called a "myth", albeit a very long-lasting and damaging one. Apparently feminists prefer myths when it seems to justify bashing men.
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