Strange Origins of Words

[ajmrowland]

Ok, I just heard this, so I'm spreading the knowledge while it's still fresh.

So, manueur used to be valuable for fertilizing crops, right? So, they would trade it by sending it overseas to other countries. The manueur would be put in containers in the bottom of the hold, where water could get up in them and wet the stuff, and it would dry and stink. So, the crew would send a guy down and he'd light a lantern and the ship would explode.

Thusly, the containers were labeled:

Ship High In Transit.

or

s.h.i.t.

[littlefuzzy]

Nice, if it were true...

[SpringHeelJack]

Yeeeeeeeeaaaahhhhh... that's not true. Ditto for "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" or whatever else people seem to think.

[milojthatch]

Here is what Wikipedia has on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shit

It seems right to me. I'm an English major and have s studied words before. I just can't think of any other source off the top of my head and it's late. But by all means, check it out.

And I agree, how we gets words is interesting.

[disneyboy20022]

not to get political here...but


Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act

aka

COBRA

http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/cobra.htm

[ajmrowland]

Okay, maybe it's not true. It's a nice story, though.

Let's try and stick to ones that are true.

[Wonderlicious]

I heard that "butterflies" are called exactly what they are called because of medieval superstitions that these insects stole people's butter.