Manure...

[Chuck]

Manure....inquiring minds need to know this....

An interesting fact about Manure:

In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything for export had to be transported by ship. It was also before the invention of commercial fertilizers,
so large shipments of manure were quite common. It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it,
not only did it become 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 instruction: ' Stow 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 ', (Stow High In Transit) 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 golfing term.

[SteveW]

Bull

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-s-word.htm

[Dot]

So the PC brigades against "foul" language have nothing to whinge about, but wait they are the PC brigade so they can and will. Thank you Chuck for that info. Bit like the F word and it's correct meaning.

[Dot]

Bad luck Chuck, the Bull was right but it was a good story, I believed it to start with

[Chuck]

Duh!! It is in the Jokes section.