What is "shit"

Old English scitan, from Proto-Germanic *skit- (cognates: North Frisian skitj, Dutch schijten, German scheissen), from PIE *skei- "to cut, split, divide, separate" (see shed (v.)). The notion is of "separation" from the body (compare Latin excrementum, from excernere "to separate," Old English scearn "dung, muck," from scieran "to cut, shear;" see sharn). It is thus a cousin to science and conscience.\n

\n"Shit" is not an acronym. The notion that it is a recent word might be partly because it was taboo from c.1600 and rarely appeared in print (neither Shakespeare nor the KJV has it), and even in "vulgar" publications of the late 18c. it is disguised by dashes. It drew the wrath of censors as late as 1922 ("Ulysses" and "The Enormous Room"), scandalized magazine subscribers in 1957 (a Hemingway story in "Atlantic Monthly") and was omitted from some dictionaries as recently as 1970 ("Webster's New World").\n

\nExtensive slang usage; meaning "to lie, to tease" is from 1934; that of "to disrespect" is from 1903. Shite, now a jocular or slightly euphemistic and chiefly British variant of the noun, formerly a dialectal variant, reflects the vowel in the Old English verb (compare German scheissen); the modern verb has been influenced by the noun. Shat is a humorous past tense form, not etymological, first recorded 18c. To shit bricks "be very frightened" attested by 1961. The connection between fear and involuntary defecation has generated expressions in English since 14c. (the image also is in Latin), and probably also is behind scared shitless (1936).\nAlle þe filþ of his magh ['maw'] salle breste out atte his fondament for drede. ["Cursor Mundi," early 14c.]

Old English scitte "purging, diarrhea," from source of shit (v.). Sense of "excrement" dates from 1580s (Old English had scytel, Middle English shitel for "dung, excrement;" the usual 14c. noun seems to have been turd). Use for "obnoxious person" is since at least 1508; meaning "misfortune, trouble" is attested from 1937. Shit-faced "drunk" is 1960s student slang; shit list is from 1942. Up shit creek "in trouble" is from 1937 (compare salt river). To not give a shit "not care" is from 1922. Pessimistic expression Same shit different day attested by 1989. Shitticism is Robert Frost's word for scatological writing.\n\nThe expression [the shit hits the fan] is related to, and may well derive from, an old joke. A man in a crowded bar needed to defecate but couldn't find a bathroom, so he went upstairs and used a hole in the floor. Returning, he found everyone had gone except the bartender, who was cowering behind the bar. When the man asked what had happened, the bartender replied, 'Where were you when the shit hit the fan?'

[Hugh Rawson, "Wicked Words," 1989]

Etymology 1

1. 1 (context vulgar colloquial English) Of poor quality; worthless. 2 (context vulgar colloquial English) nasty; despicable. n. 1 (context countable uncountable colloquial vulgar English) Solid excretory product evacuated from the bowels; feces. 2 (context countable colloquial vulgar in the plural definite English) ('''the shits''') diarrhea. 3 (context countable colloquial vulgar English) An instance of defecation. 4 (context uncountable vulgar colloquial English) rubbish; worthless matter. 5 (context uncountable vulgar colloquial English) stuff, things. 6 (context uncountable colloquial vulgar definite English) ('''the shit''') The best of its kind. 7 (context uncountable vulgar colloquial English) nonsense; bullshit. 8 (context countable vulgar colloquial English) A nasty, despicable person, used particularly of men. 9 (context uncountable vulgar colloquial English) (''in negations'') anything. 10 (context uncountable vulgar colloquial English) A problem or difficult situation. 11 (context uncountable vulgar colloquial English) A strong rebuke. 12 (context uncountable vulgar colloquial English) any recreational drug, usually cannabis. Etymology 2

   interj. 1 (context vulgar English) Expression of worry, failure, shock, etc., often at something seen for the first time or remembered immediately before using this term. 2 (context vulgar English) To show displeasure or surprise. v

2. 1 (context intransitive vulgar colloquial English) To defecate. 2 (context transitive vulgar colloquial English) To excrete (something) through the anus. 3 (context transitive vulgar colloquial English) To fool or try to fool someone; to be deceitful. 4 (context transitive vulgar colloquial Australia English) To annoy.

1. v. give away information about somebody; "He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam" [syn: denounce, tell on, betray, give away, rat, grass, shop, snitch, stag]

2. have a bowel movement; "The dog had made in the flower beds" [syn: stool, defecate, take a shit, take a crap, ca-ca, crap, make]

3. [also: shitting, shitted, shat]

1. n. obscene terms for feces [syn: crap, dirt, shite, poop, turd]

2. obscene words for unacceptable behavior; "I put up with a lot of bullshit from that jerk"; "what he said was mostly bull" [syn: bullshit, bull, Irish bull, horseshit, crap, dogshit]

3. a small worthless amount; "you don't know jack" [syn: jack, diddly-squat, diddlysquat, diddly-shit, diddlyshit, diddly, diddley, squat]

4. a coarse term for defecation; "he took a shit" [syn: dump]

5. insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous [syn: asshole, bastard, cocksucker, dickhead, mother fucker, motherfucker, prick, whoreson, son of a bitch, SOB]

6. something of little value; "his promise is not worth a damn"; "not worth one red cent"; "not worth shucks" [syn: damn, darn, hoot, red cent, shucks, tinker's damn, tinker's dam]

7. [also: shitting, shitted, shat]

Shit is an English-language vulgarism, literally referring to feces, but having many metaphoric uses.

Shit or The shit may also refer to:

"Shit" (stylized as "Sh!t", edited for radio as "Shhh...") is a song by American hip hop recording artist Future. It was released on September 24, 2013, as the third single from his second studio album, Honest (2014). The song has since peaked at number 45 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Shit is a word that is usually considered vulgar and profane in Modern English. As a noun it refers to fecal matter, and as a verb it means to defecate; in the plural ("the shits") it means diarrhea. Shite is a common variant in British and Irish English. As a slang term, it has many meanings, including: nonsense, foolishness, something of little value or quality, trivial and usually boastful or inaccurate talk, or a contemptible person. It may also be used as an expression of annoyance, surprise, or anger.