Posted by ????? on January 20, 2003 at 18:39 [63.214.11.84]
...you might ask. I mean the word, not the substance.
Well, it seems back in the old days before interstate highways and jet aircraft, the most efficient way to transport goods long distances was by ship. This included fertilizer (manure) which was dried to reduce its weight.
Sacks of manure stacked in the hold of a ship would absorb bilge water, and the newly hydrated manure would ferment on the voyage, producing methane gas. There were incidents where a crewman checking on the cargo would accidentally ignite the methane with his oil lantern, resulting in a horrific explosion.
It wasn't long before sacks of manure were labelled Ship High In Transit (SHIT) to make sure they were stacked in a high'n'dry location to prevent the problem.
Holy shit!