Shit

This article is about the word. For the bodily waste, seeFeces.For the expulsion of feces, seeDefecation.For other uses, seeShit (disambiguation).

"S***" and "S**t" redirect here. For the derogatory term, seeSlut.

Shitis an English-languageprofanity.As a noun, it refers tofecalmatter, and as a verb it means todefecate;in the plural ( "the shits" ), it meansdiarrhea.Shiteis a common variant inBritishandIrish English.As a slang term,shithas many meanings, including: nonsense, foolishness, something of little value or quality, trivial and usuallyboastful or inaccurate talkor a contemptible person. It could also be used to refer to any other noun in general or as an expression of annoyance, surprise or anger.

Etymology

The word is likely derived fromOld English,having the nounsscite(dung, attested only in place names) andscitte(diarrhoea) and the verbscītan(to defecate, attested only inbescītan,to cover with excrement); eventually it morphed intoMiddle Englishschītte(excrement),schyt(diarrhoea) andshiten(to defecate), and it is virtually certain that it was used in some form by preliterateGermanictribes at the time of theRoman Empire.The word may be further traced to Proto-Germanic *skit-, and ultimately toProto-Indo-European*skheid- "cut, separate", the same root believed to have become the wordshed.The word has severalcognatesin modernGermanic languages,such asGermanScheiße,Dutchschijt,Swedishskit,Icelandicskítur,Norwegianskittetc.Ancient Greekhad 'skōr' (gen. 'skatos' hence 'scato-'), from Proto-Indo-European *sker-, which is likely unrelated.

Usage

The wordshit(alsoshiteinBritishandHiberno-English) is consideredprofanityand is usually avoided in formal speech.Minced oathsubstitutes for the wordshitin English includeshoot,shucks,sugar,and theeuphemisticbackronym,Sugar, Honey, Ice(d) Tea.

In the word's literal sense, it has a rather small range of common usages. An unspecified or collective occurrence offecesis generallyshitorsome shit;a single deposit of feces is sometimesa shitora piece of shit;and to defecate isto shitorto take a shit.While it is common to speak of shit as existing ina pile,a load,a hunk,and other quantities and configurations, such expressions flourish most strongly in the figurative.

When uttered as an exclamation orinterjection,shitmay convey astonishment or a feeling of being favorably impressed or disgusted. Similar utterances might bedamn!,wow!oryuck!.

Piece of shitmay also be used figuratively to describe a particularly loathsome individual, or an object that is of poor quality ( "thiscaris apiece of shit",often abbreviated to" P.O.S. ").

One study published in 2017 argued that "shit studies" is a cross-disciplinary meta-field of rhetorical inquiry about human communication and reasoning. The authors explained, "rhetorical studies has theorized 'shit' in terms of the communication of transformation, style, and textual relations," particularly in relation to claims of expertise to topics such as "anti-semitism" and "wine-tasting."They conclude thatbullshitspeech is one-sided discourse that is difficult to penetrate because it contains "ideological barriers to the expectation of mutuality," working to deflect critical responses.

Vague noun

Shitcan be used as a generic mass noun similar tostuff;for instance,This show is funny (as) shitorThis test is hard (as) shit,orThat was stupid shit.These three usages (withfunny,hard,andstupidor anothersynonymofstupid) are heard most commonly in the United States. Using "as" denotes a subtle change in the meaning of the expression; however, the overall intent is basically the same.

In the expressionGet your shit together!,the wordshitcan refer either to one's wits or composure or to one's things, gear, etc.He doesn't have his shit togethermeans that his affairs are disordered, reflecting not bad luck or forces beyond his control, but his personal shortcomings.

Toshoot the shitis to have a friendly but pointless conversation, as in "Come by my place some time and we'll shoot the shit."

Ashitholeis any unpleasant place to be, much like a hellhole. This usage originates from a reference to apit toilet.

Acrock of shitis something (a situation, explanation, argument, etc.) that is nonsense or fabricated as a deception or evasion; i.e. bullshit. Often abbreviated simply ascrock.Example: "You expect me to believe that?? What a crock!"

The phrasebuilt like a brick shithouseis used in the United States to compliment a curvaceous woman, but in other English-speaking countries to compliment men with athletic physiques.This meaning originates from the observation that most shithouses are rather ramshackle affairs constructed of plywood or scrap sheets of steel.

The shitteris a slang term for a toilet, and can be used like the phrase...down the toiletto suggest that something has been wasted. Example: "This CD player quit working one friggin' week after I bought it, and I lost the receipt! Twenty bucks right down the shitter!"

Shit on a shingleis U.S. military slang forcreamed chipped beef on toast.In polite company, this can be abbreviated asSOS.

Trouble

Shitcan be used to denote trouble, by saying one is ina lot of shitordeep shit(a common euphemism isdeep doo-doo). Ashitstormwould be quite a lot of trouble happening all in one place at one time. It's common for someone to refer to an unpleasant thing ashard shit(You got a speeding ticket? Man, that's some hard shit), but the phrasetough shitis used as an unsympathetic way of sayingtoo badto whoever is having problems (You got arrested? Tough shit, man!) or as a way of expressing to someone that they need to stop complaining about something and cope with it instead (Billy:I got arrested because of you!Tommy:Tough shit, dude, you knew you might get arrested when you chose to come with me.) Note that in this case, as in many cases with the term,tough shitis often said as a way of pointing out someone's fault in his/her own current problem. It's also common to express annoyance by simply sayingShit.

Ashitloadof something is a large quantity, especially something unpleasant or disgusting.The boss dumped a shitload of extra work for me this week.Ashit sandwichis something (like a situation or state of affairs) unpleasant made triflingly more palatable by packaging it in things less unpleasant, as rotten meat sandwiched in bread. The term shit sandwich originates from an old joke that goes: "Life is a shit sandwich. The more bread (money) you got, the less shit you have to eat."

Up shit creekor especiallyUp shit creek without a paddledescribes a situation in which one is in severe difficulties with no apparent means of solution (this is simply a profane version of the older saying "up the creek without a paddle", profanity added for emphasis or humor).

Shit happensmeans that bad happenings in life are inevitable. This is usually spoken with a sigh or a shrug, but can be spoken derisively to someone who complains too often about his ill fortunes, or in an irritating manner.

When the shit hits the fanis usually used to refer to a specific time of confrontation or trouble, which requires decisive action. This is often used in reference to combat situations and the action scenes in movies, but can also be used for everyday instances that one might be apprehensive about.I don't want to be here when the shit hits the fan!indicates that the speaker is dreading this moment (which can be anything from an enemy attack to confronting an angry parent or friend). In polite society, it is often reduced to "when it hits the fan".He's the one to turn to when the shit hits the fanis an indication that the person being talked about is dependable and will not run from trouble or abandon their allies in tough situations. The concept of this phrase is simple enough, as the actual substance striking the rotating blades of a fan would cause a messy and unpleasant situation (much like being in the presence of amanure spreader). Whether or not this has actually happened, or if the concept is simply feasible enough for most people to imagine the result without needing it to be demonstrated, is unknown. Another example might be the sayingshit rolls downhill,a metaphor suggesting that trouble for a manager may be transferred to the subordinates. There are a number of anecdotes and jokes about such situations, as the imagery of these situations is considered to be funny. This is generally tied-in with the concept that disgusting and messy substances spilled onto someone else are humorous.

For someone to be described asshitfacedmeans that person is essentially incapacitated by alcoholic intoxication (i.e. in a thoroughly drunken state).

Displeasure

Shitcan comfortably stand in for the termsbadandanythingin many instances (Dinner was good, but the movie was shit.You're all mad at me, but I didn't do shit!). A comparison can also be used, as inThose pants look like shit,orThis stuff tastes like shit.Many usages areidiomatic.I'm shit out of luckusually refers to someone who is at the end of their wits or who has no remaining viable options. In polite company the acronymSOLis commonly substituted for this.That little shit shot me in theass,suggests a mischievous or contemptuous person. Euphemisms such ascrapare not usually used in this context.

The exclamationsoh shit!andaw shit!are used to express displeasure or embarrassment (sometimes facetiously) with oneself when one makes a mistake, especially a stupid or avoidable mistake. When used to comment on the actions of someone else, they can take on a more humorous quality if the mistake does not result in serious consequences.

The termpiece of shitis generally used to classify a product or service as being sufficiently below the writer's understanding of generally accepted quality standards to be of negligible and perhaps even negative value. The termpiece of shithas greater precision thanshitorshittyin thatpiece of shitidentifies the low quality of a specific component or output of a process without applying a derogatory slant to the entire process. For example, if one said "The youth orchestra has been a remarkably successful initiative. The fact that the orchestra's recent rendition of Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony in B minor was pretty much a piece of shit should not in any way detract from this." The substitution ofshitorshittyforpretty much a piece of shitwould imply irony and would therefore undermine the strength of the statement.

The phrase "(I don't) give a shit" can be used when one does not care about something, or has a passive attitude toward said thing, as it denotesindifference.In context, one can say: "You're offended? Well, I don't give a shit!" or "You're telling me? Go find somebody who gives a shit." PresidentRichard Nixonsaid to aideH.R. Haldemanwhile being tape recorded in theOval Office,"I don't give a shit about the lira." He meant he was too busy managing theWatergate affairto consider a crisis in the Italian monetary system.

Theshit listis a category of people who are in ill favor with some individual or group of people, perhaps as the managers of a company, and likely to be the targets of special treatment.

The phrase "take shit" means to receive bad or frivolous treatment from someone. Such an abused person might say "I'm not taking any more of your shit!" to indicate that they will no longer tolerate such treatment.

Whale shitis sometimes used to describe a person who inspires displeasure or disgust, as in: "You're lower than whale shit at the bottom of the ocean!"

“You can’t polish shit” is a popular aphorism roughly equivalent to "puttingLipstick on a pig"(although" a turd "is more commonly used). However, the TV showMythbustersshowed you can, in fact, polish a turd.

Dominance

Shitcan also be used to establish social superiority over someone else. The most common gibe iseat shit!(cfcoprophagy) expressing contempt. Some other personal word may be added such aseat my shitimplying truly personal connotations. As an aside, the above is actually a contraction of the phraseeat shit and die!.It is often said without commas as a curse; they command the other party to perform exactly those actions in that order. However, the term was originallyEat, Shit, and Dienaming the three most basic things humans have to do, and it is common amongsoldiers.

The phraseYou ain't shit,expresses an air of intimidation over the addressee, expressing that they mean nothing or are worthless.

Hot shitcan be a reference to a matter or thing of supreme importance or urgency ( "This report is really hot shit!" ). It can be used in adjectival form: "This memo's shit-hot!".Hot shitcan also refer to a person who either overestimates his own worth or ability, or is highly estimated by others ( "He thinks he's some hot shit!" or "He's one hot shit!" ). In polite company the euphemismhotshotmay be substituted when referring to a person.

A speaker may show dominance through arrogance using the phraseHis shit don't stink.Its grammatical incorrectness highlights the self-importance of the referent relative to the speaker; thoughHis shit does not stinkmay come across as being more emphatic due to the mixed diction between its grammatical correctness and thevulgarityofshit.This phrase conveys the haughtiness of the referent and that he considers himself beyond reproach. For example: "Those pompous assholes in Finance are the ones who ruined the company – their shit don't even stink!" A variation on this theme might be: "Everything he shits smells just like roses!"

The expressionshitkickercan be used as apejorativefor a menial worker or other low class person. `within the world of (ii) a performer or fan of country-and-western music.The term shitkicker may be substituted with the less vulgar "chipkicker", as inLyle Lovett's song"Give back my heart"onPontiac,where a girl in a "cowboy-looking bar" is described as a "chipkicker-redneck woman".

The wordshitheadis a commonly heard insult. A shithead may also be referred to as ashit-for-brains.Another word for a spectacularly stupid (or contemptible) person isdipshit.Shitheadis also the name of a card game.

Positive attitude

In North American slang, prefixing the articlethetoshitgives it a completely opposite definition, meaningthe best,as in, for example "Altered Beastis the shit ". Other slang words of the same meaning, such ascrap,are not used in such locutions.

To wear ashit-eating grinmeans the person wearing it may be displaying self-satisfaction, smugness, embarrassment, or mischief. It may also be a playful evasion, as a response to the query "I'll bet you drank the whole bottle of booze yourself, didn't you?"

Shortening ofbullshit

Main article:bullshit

The expressionno shit?(a contraction ofno bullshit?) is used in response to a statement that is extraordinary or hard to believe. Alternatively the maker of the hard-to-believe statement may addno shitto reinforce the sincerity or truthfulness of their statement, particularly in response to someone expressing disbelief at their statement.No shitis also used sarcastically in response to a statement of the obvious, as inno shit,Sherlock.

In this form the word can also be used in phrases such asdon't give me that shitoryou're full of shit.The termfull of shitis often used as an exclamation to charge someone who is believed to be prone to dishonesty, exaggeration or is thought to be "phoney" with an accusation. For example:

1. "Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to invite you to the party, it was a complete accident... but you really didn't miss anything anyway. "
2. "You're full of shit! You had dozens of opportunities to invite me. If you have a problem with me, why not just say it!"

The wordbullshitalso denotes false or insincere discourse. (Horseshitis roughly equivalent, whilechickenshitmeanscowardly,batshitindicates a person is crazy, andgoingapeshitindicates a person is entering a state of high excitement or unbridled rage.)Are you shitting me?!is a question sometimes given in response to an incredible assertion. An answer that reasserts the veracity of the claim is,I shit you not.

Emphasis

Perhaps the only constantconnotationthatshitreliably carries is that its referent holds some degree of emotional intensity for the speaker. Whether offense is taken at hearing the word varies greatly according to listener and situation, and is related to age andsocial class:elderlyspeakers and those of (or aspiring to) highersocioeconomicstrata tend to use it more privately and selectively than younger and moreblue-collarspeakers.

Like the wordfuck,shitis often used to add emphasis more than to add meaning, for example,shit! I was so shit-scared of that shithead that I shit-talked him into dropping out of the karate match!The termtoshit-talkconnotes bragging or exaggeration (whereasto talk shitprimarily meansto gossip [about someone in a damaging way]or to talk in a boastful way about things which are erroneous in nature), but in such constructions as the above, the wordshitoften functions as aninterjection.

The exclamationholy shitderives its force from the juxtaposition of the sacred with the profane.

Unlike the wordfuck,shitis not used emphatically with-ingor as an infix. For example;I lost the shitting karate matchwould be replaced with...thefucking karate match.Similarly, whilein-fucking-credibleis generally acceptable,in-shitting-credibleis not.

The verb "to shit"

Thepreteriteandpast participleofshitare attested asshat,shit,orshitted,depending on dialect and, sometimes, the rhythm of the sentence. In the prologue ofThe Canterbury Tales,shittenis used as the past participle; however this form is not used in modern English. In American Englishshitas a past participle is often correct, whileshatis generally acceptable andshittedis uncommon and missing from theRandom HouseandAmerican Heritagedictionaries.

"to shitcan"

Toshitcansomeone or something is to dismiss or dispose of casually or unceremoniously, as into a waste basket. Shitcan can also be used as a noun:Don't bother; a report like this is gonna go directly into the shitcan.It can also refer to being fired from a job: "The boss is gonna shitcan you if you keep showing up late."

Backronyms

Thebackronymform "S.H.I.T." often figures into jokes, likeSpecial High Intensity Training(a well-known joke used in job applications),Special Hot Interdiction Team(a mockery onSWAT), anycollegename that begins with an S-H (likeSouth Harmon Institute of Technologyin the filmAccepted(2006), andShip High In Transit(or the variantStore High In Transitin the filmKenny(2006)).South Hudson Institute of Technologyhas sometimes been used to describe theUnited States Military Academyat West Point.

In polite company, sometimesbackronymssuch asSugar Honey in TeaorSugar Honey Ice(d) Teaare used.

Usage in classical poetry

SatiristJonathan Swiftwrote a controversial poem "The Lady's Dressing Room"containing the following lines (115 through 118):

Thus finishing his grand survey
Disgusted Strephon stole away
Repeating in his amorous fits
Oh! Celia, Celia, Celia shits!

Usage on television

Canada

In Canada, "shit" is one of the words considered by theCanadian Broadcast Standards Councilto be "coarse, offensive language intended for adults", acceptable for broadcast only after 9:00 p.m.

On the CanadianShowcasetelevision showTrailer Park Boys,characters frequently use the term "shit". For example, the fictional trailer park supervisorJames "Jim" Laheyemploys many metaphors with the negative slang "shit" bizarrely worked in; in one episode,Mr. Lahey likensRicky's growing ignorance to that of a "shit tsunami", while in another episode,Mr. Lahey tellsBubblesthe "shit hawksare swooping in low "due to his deplorable behavior and company. The term" shit "is also used in the titles of that show's episodes, themselves, e.g.,"The Winds of Shit","A Shit Leopard Can't Change Its Spots",and "Never Cry Shitwolf".

United Kingdom

The first person to say "shit" on British TV wasJohn Cleeseof theMonty Pythoncomedy troupe, in the late 1960s, according to his owneulogyforGraham Chapman.However, this is not independently verified. The phrase "thick as pigshit" is used in the 1969 BBC playThe Big Flame.The wordshitalso appears in the British filmCul-de-sac(1966), which might pre-date John Cleese's use.

United States

The word has become increasingly acceptable on Americancable televisionandsatellite radio,which are not subject toFCCregulation. In other English-speaking countries, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, the word is allowed to be used inbroadcast televisionby the regulative councils of each area, as long as it is used in late hours when young people are not expected to be watching. It has appeared onABC News'20/20.

"Shit" was one of the original "Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV",a comedy routine by the American comedianGeorge Carlin.In the United States, although the use of the word is censored on broadcast network television (while itssynonymcrapis not usually subject to censorship), theFCCpermitted some exceptions. For example:

• The 14 October 1999 episode ofChicago Hopeis the first show (excludingdocumentaries) on U.S. network television to contain the wordshitin uncensored form.
• The word also is used in a laterERepisode, "On the Beach"by Dr.Mark Greene,while experiencing the final stages of a deadlybrain tumor.Although the episode was originally aired uncensored, the "shit" utterance has since been edited out in syndicated reruns.

An episode ofSouth Park,"It Hits the Fan"(original airdate 20 June 2001), parodied the hype over theChicago Hopeepisode. In it, "shit" is used 162 times, and a counter in the corner of the screen tallies the repetitions (excluding the 38 instances of the word's use in written forms, the raising the total to an even 200).South Parkairs on American cable networks, which are outside the FCC's regulatory jurisdiction and whose censorship of vulgar dialogue is at the discretion of the cable operators.

Since that episode, the word (as well as many on-screen depictions of feces, as well as defecation) has become a mainstay ofSouth Park.Various episodes also feature a character,Mr. Hankey,who is a sentient piece of excrement. OtherComedy Centralseries, along with programming on other cable networks includingFX,TBS,and as of March 2014,Adult Swim,also regularly employ the word shit. Episodes ofGraceland,on theUSA Network,do also.

Usage in radio

United States

Unlikesatellite radio,American terrestrial radio stations must abide byFCCguidelines onobscenityto avoid punitive fines. These guidelines do not define exactly what constitutes obscenity, but it has been interpreted by some commissioners as including any form of words likeshitandfuck,for whatever use.

Despite this, the word has been featured in popular songs that have appeared on broadcast radio in cases where the usage of the word is not audibly clear to the casual listener, or on live television. For example:

• In the song "Man in the Box"byAlice in Chains,the line "Buried in my shit" was played unedited over most rock radio stations.
• The 1973Pink Floydsong "Money"from the albumThe Dark Side of the Mooncontains the line "Don't give me that do goody good bullshit", and has frequently been broadcast unedited on US radio.
• The 1980 hit albumHi InfidelitybyREO Speedwagoncontained the song "Tough Guys" which had the line "she thinks they're full of shit", that was played on broadcast radio.
• On 3 December 1994,Green Dayperformed "Geek Stink Breath",onSaturday Night Live,shitwas not edited from tape delay live broadcast. The band did not appear on the show again until 9 April 2005.

Some notable instances of censorship of the word from broadcast television and radio include:

• Steve Miller's "Jet Airliner".Although radio stations have sometimes played an unedited version containing the line" funky shit going down in the city. "The song was also released with a"radio edit"version, replacing the" funky shit "with" funky kicks ". Another version of" Jet Airliner "exists in which the word" shit "is faded out.
• Likewise, theBob Dylansong "Hurricane"has a line about having no idea" what kind of shit was about to go down, "and has a radio edit version without the word.
• Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl"video had the original album's use of the word censored in its video.
• The music video title "...on the Radio (Remember the Days)"byNelly Furtadoreplaced the original title "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)".
• This also happened to "That's That Shit"bySnoop DoggfeaturingR. Kelly,which became "That's That".
• InAvril Lavigne's song "My Happy Ending", theRadio Disneyedit of the song replaces "all the shit that you do" with "all the stuff that you do".
• Likewise, in the song "London Bridge"bythe Black Eyed PeasmemberFergie,the phrase "Oh Shit" is repeatedly used as a background line. A radio edit of this song replaced "Oh Shit" with "Oh Snap".
• Maroon 5's "Payphone"replaces the line" All these fairy tales are full of shit "with" All these fairy tales are full of it ".
• Likewise,Icona Pop's "I Love It (I Don't Care)"uses" I threw your stuff into the bag... "in place of" I threw your shit into the bag... ".

Usage in campaigns

Sanitation promotion

Using the term "shit" (or other locally used crude words) – rather thanfecesorexcreta– during campaigns and triggering events is a deliberate aspect of thecommunity-led total sanitationapproach which aims to stopopen defecation,a massive public health problem indeveloping countries.

See also

• Artist's Shit
• Bowel movement
• Four-letter word
• Outhouse,also known as "shithouse "
• Profanity
• Seven dirty words