doolittle
08-03-2005, 12:49 AM
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 holds leaked and once water (at sea) hit it, it not only became heavier, but the process of its fermentation began again. As you know, a byproduct of fermentation is methane gas.
Since the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could
(and did) happen. Methane would begin 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". This 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 potentially 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 many centuries and is still 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.
Since the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could
(and did) happen. Methane would begin 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". This 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 potentially 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 many centuries and is still 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.