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.

You probably did not know the true history of this word. Neither did I. I thought it was a Golf or Bingo Term.

Thats a cool bit of trivia! Thanks for sharing!!!!

Along those same lines, the children's song "Sing A Song of Six-Pence" has been traced to a recruiting song for Blackbeard the pirate. At the time, most pirates were only paid by division of spoils, but Blackbeard paid his crew weekly, 6 pence. Decent wages back then. A "pocket full of rye" is a canteen of whiskey. "Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie" 24 crewmen dressed in black and set into small boats. Blackbeard would fly a distress flag and when another ship came to their aid, the small boats would attack. It goes on and on for the whole song and is quite interesting. Especially for a pirate nut like me.

I so love random trivia!