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 Transit) which has come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michaelangelica
What do you think?
true or false?
I know the Poms imported tonnes and tonnes of Egyptian mummies as fertiliser in the 19? 20? [/B]
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michaelangelica
C
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I think, if you check a dictionary, you might just be able to disabuse yourself of that folk etymology.
I happen to love folk etymologies, like I love pseudoscience. In a way, I'm tempted to continue my co-dependency with those two phantasms, those linguistic and scientific gossamers, but I really really think that spider webs should be called spider webs. I know (as people are always ready to explain to me) that I'm choosing a mundane, unromantic interpretation of the natural world and its beauty. I don't care.
--lemit
