The meaning of shit (learn somrthing new everyday)
 

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 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.

Hehe that sounded like a reasonable explanation so I did some searching and found this article which debunks that explanation:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-s-word.htm

I also found this one about the origin of "fuck", which I actually thought was real:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-f-word.htm

I thought it was derived from the German word "Schiesse" (SP?)

Damn yer ass!! Here I thought I was gettin' educated, but noooooooo .. here you gotta come in and rain all over my parade... :)