History Lesson

Island_Lullaby · Post by **Island_Lullaby** » October 25, 2003 3:22 pm

thought this was interesting...wanted to share...

In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship. 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 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 the 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.

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » October 25, 2003 4:32 pm

Well Holy Crap, Batman! I always wondered about that!

redwinemaker · Post by **redwinemaker** » October 25, 2003 6:57 pm

Another urban legend taken to new heights by the internet...

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/s***.htm

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » October 25, 2003 10:02 pm

Sorry, transit not a word used in 16th and 17th centurys
Great story though

Island_Lullaby · Post by **Island_Lullaby** » October 26, 2003 8:53 am

i guess i will have to research my email a little better before posting...sorry...sounded good though didn't it?

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » October 26, 2003 9:06 am

I thought I'd heard it on Jeopardy a while back though....I mean if you can't trust Alec Trebek, who can ya trust?

Not to pick on whether or not the word "transit" would have been used at that time, but how do you know that? The word comes directly from the Latin "trans" meaning "across." Not trying to cause a stir, but I get curious is all.

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » October 26, 2003 4:08 pm

Argh matey We are gonna catch that ship in Transit? No really
in high school I wrote a story in creative writing and guess what it was about Pirates, in conversation one of my silly pirates used the T word.
(and others that did not fit) anyway I had to research the words
that were circled on the paper and write a mini report on each
In my research I found that the word exsisted but was not in use
AND I found out that folks that worked the docks did not use fancy words,
as many of them could not read and write, what I also found on research
was somehow pirate ships were man for man better educated than
one of the merchant or Navy ships of the time.
I had a very picky English teacher and I remember many of the lessons
that were learned in that class
Ps Pirates did not wear Levis either another lesson from that story

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » October 26, 2003 4:47 pm

Well color me educated! Thanks, Ragtop!

Air M'Ville Cap'n · Post by **Air M'Ville Cap'n** » October 26, 2003 11:04 pm

I often wonder how cuss words come about. Interesting stuff, thanks for posting!

rednekkPH · Post by **rednekkPH** » October 27, 2003 11:41 am

snopes.com is wonderful thing, isn't it?

Frank

phtnt · Post by **phtnt** » July 23, 2004 8:18 am