Word Origin
Some exciting Historical information youneed to know about shipping
Manure: =20
In the 16th and 17th centuries, everythinghad to transported
by ship. It was also before commercial fertilizer'sinvention,
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
(atsea) hit it.... Not only became heavier, but the process of
fermentation beganagain, of which a by-product is methane gas.
As the stuff was stored below decks inbundles you can see what
could (and did) happen. Methane began to build upbelow decks
and the first time someone came below at night with a lantern,BOOOOM!
Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was
determinedjust
what was happening. =20
After that, the bundles of manure werealways stamped with the
term "Ship High In Transit" on them whichmeant for the sailors
to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that anywater that
came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start
theproduction of methane. Thus evolved the term "S.H.I.T," which
camedown through the centuries and is in use to this very day.
You probably did not know the true historyof this word. =20
Neither did I. I always thought it was a golf term! =20
Freedom is NOT free!!!!!
"Stay lean, stay mean, stay Marine"
2 basic rules of life:
Rule # 1 is "Don't sweat the small stuff"
Rule # 2 is "It's all small stuff"
Sempers,
Roger
|