I don't know how true this is,,,
BUTT,,,
I think it's a neat story ! !
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Here's an interesting piece of information. You should know this stuff.
You may be asked to share your expertise sometime. Never can tell...
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....
KA 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 a certain term. Take the first letter of each word of,
"Ship High In Transport and you have that word.
You probably didn't know the true history of this word, huh? Well,
neither did I.....