Re: FS: Simon

[G. Morgan <alarmpro@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 25 Sep 2006 00:09:33 -0700, "Jim" <alarminex@xxxxxxx> wrote:

>Just a point of interest. The origin of the word sharpshooter comes
>from about the mid 19th century. There was a long range cartridge rifle
>manufactured by a company called Sharps. It took a lot of practice to
>become good a using them and those that were ..... were called Sharps
>shooters.


Speaking of interesting word origins:

"crapper" and later "crap" were born when the flushing commode was
invented by a man named "Crapper", and his company was named the same.
They put the company name on the water tank (they were seperate wooden
boxes hung on the wall).  When someone need to use the bathroom they
would say "I'm going to the Crapper".

I have heard this about "shit" before, but later found out it was
urban legend:

"Certain types of manure used to be transported (as everything was
back then) by ship. In dry form it weighs a lot less, 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 discovered
what was happening.

After that, the bundles of manure where always stamped with the term
"S.H.I.T" on them which meant to the sailors to "Ship High In
Transit." In other words, 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. "

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-s-word.htm


--

-Graham
(remove the double e's to email)