Joke Tuesday.
MANURE.. An interesting fact
Manure: In the 16th and 17th
centuries, everything had to be
transported by ship and 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 byproduct is
methane gas
of course. 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 golf term.
6 comments:
Drivel and wisdom! How rare :)
Blow me down!
I am reading 'The life of Pi' and he - desperately hungry - attempts to eat his travelling companion's poo. The TC is a tiger.
It was so hard he added some precious water but regretted it as the taste was foul.
No surprise there then.
RE you story what about the effect of rain?
KB, but of course! x
Pat, there you go!x
Why don't they teach history like this in schools?
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