The TRUE Origin Of SHIT

[matcom]

received via email. thought i would share :D

Shipping Manure

Historical information you need to know about shipping manure: In the16th 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. Once water (at
sea) hit it, however, it not only became heavier, but the process of
fermentation began again, a by-product of which is methane gas.

Since 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, BOOOOOM!

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 the sailors should 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, you may have noticed, 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.

[GOPisEvil]

1. Well, there you have it...

...if it's in an e-mail it HAS to be true! :bounce:

[FlashHarry]

2. That sounds pretty dubious to me

along the lines of "For Uncommon Carnal Knowledge," which has long been proven false.

[displacedtexan]

4. i thought it was

fornication under consent of the king.
hhhhhmmmmmm........

[JohnyCanuck]

3. Shit goes back to before the 16th and 17th centuries.

From Dictionay.com

Middle English shitten, probably from Old English -sciten(as in besciten, covered with excrement), past participle of *sctan. See skei- in Indo-European Roots.

[FlashHarry]

5. Far more plausible.

Now, fart, on the other hand, has been around even longer!

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Cognates in other Germanic languages--

Scheiss in German, Skede in Danish.

Incidentally skeet shooting is a humorous application of the the Scandinavian skede/skete.
Gives new meaning to the expression "shooting the shit."

[WoodrowFan]

6. Funny but False

Snopes debunked this one too. It's funny though.......

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/shit.htm

[Kellanved]

7. A common Urban Legend

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/shit.htm

Edit: synchronous posting.

[LastRobot]

9. I always thought...

I always thought the origin of shit was my ass

[Az]

10. Sorry Matcom

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/shit.htm

This is an urban legend.

Excerpt:
This sorry piece of codswallop about exploding ships appears to have begun its Internet life in February 2002. Its cousin, the "bad smelling steamship fuel" tale (second example quoted above), began its online life as an April 1999 post to the USENET discussion list rec.humor. Akin to the faux etymology of the word 'fuck,' a specious acronym has once again been claimed as the origin of yet another term beloved of potty-mouths everywhere.

[CO Liberal]

11. Here's Where Shit Really Comes From

Limbaugh


Hannity


O'Reilly


Savage


Liddy


Coulter

I could go on, but you get the idea.

[Az]

12. Oh puhlease!

Shit is at least useful. I hold shit in high esteem compared to that gang of debree.