by devil » Thu Apr 26, 2007 9:20 am
Oxford English Dictionary:
shit n.
SIt/
Now coarse slang. Also (now joc., euphem., & dial.) shite /SVIt/.
[Old English scitte, from Germanic base of SHIT verb. Rel. to Middle Low German schite dung, Middle Dutch schitte excrement.]
1. the shits, †the shit. Diarrhoea, orig. esp. in cattle, now of people. (Not recorded between LME and 20.) OE.
2. A contemptible, obnoxious, or worthless person. Cf. TURD 2. E16.
S. Conran You were quite right to divorce Robert. He was my idea of a prize shit.
3. Faeces, dung. L16.
P. P. Read The dog shit on the pavement.
b. An act of defecation. E20.
4. transf. & fig.
a. In neg. contexts: anything. Chiefly in not give a shit below. E20.
R. Rayner Auden, it seemed to me, didn't know shit.
b. Rubbish; nonsense; something worthless or not to be believed. Cf. BULL noun4 3. M20.
E. Segal He treated you like shit.
c. Misfortune, unpleasantness. Chiefly in be in the shit below. M20.
d. An intoxicating drug; spec. (a) cannabis; (b) heroin; (c) cocaine. M20.
e. Personal belongings; stuff. L20.
Phrases: beat the shit out of, kick the shit out of, knock the shit out of thrash or beat (a person) severely. be in the shit be in trouble or a difficult or unpleasant situation. full of shit rubbishy; worthless; not to be believed or trusted. get one's shit together US organize oneself, manage one's affairs. kick the shit out of, knock the shit out of: see beat the shit out of above. neither shit nor Shinola: see SHINOLA. no shit!: expr. astonishment, disbelief, derision, etc. not give a shit not care at all. not know shit from SHINOLA. scare the shit out of give (a person) a severe shock, frighten. shit-for-brains (chiefly N. Amer.) a stupid person. shit happens bad things often happen unavoidably. the shits, the shit: see sense 1 above. tough shit: see TOUGH adjective. up shit creek in an unpleasant situation, in an awkward predicament. when the shit hits the fan at a moment of crisis; when the disastrous consequences become known.
Comb.: shitcan verb trans. throw away, discard; reject as worthless; shit-eating adjective despicable; smug, self-satisfied; shit-face (a term of abuse for) an obnoxious person; shit-faced adjective extremely drunk; shithead (a term of abuse for) an obnoxious person; shit-hole (a) the anus; (b) fig. an extremely unpleasant place; shit-hot adjective very good, excellent; shit-house noun & adjective (a) noun a lavatory; a disgusting or contemptible thing; (b) adjective disgusting, contemptible; shit-kicker US an unsophisticated or oafish person, esp. one from a rural area; shit-list US a list of those who one dislikes or plans to harm etc.; a blacklist; shitload a large amount or number; shit-scared adjective extremely frightened; shit-stirrer a person who takes pleasure in causing trouble or discord; shitwork work considered esp. by feminists to be menial or routine, esp. housework.
shit v.
SIt/
Now coarse slang. Pa. t. & pple shitted, shit, shat /Sat/; pa. pple also (now rare or obsolete) shitten /"SIt(@)n/; pres. pple & verbal noun shitting. Also (now dial.) shite /SVIt/. ME.
[Corresp. to Middle Low German schWten (Dutch schijten) Old High German scW0an (Middle High German schW0an, German scheissen), Old Norse skita, from Germanic: prob. already in Old English (cf. bescítan daub with excrement).]
1. verb intrans. Expel faeces from the body. ME.
2. verb trans. Cause (faeces) to be expelled from the body; expel as faeces. ME.
fig.: T. L. Smith The planes..had shit a neat stream of..orange bricks.
3. verb trans. Soil (one's clothes, oneself) with faeces; refl. be very frightened. L19.
Spare Rib I was shitting myself before I came, looking for all kinds of excuses.
b. Tease; attempt to deceive or mislead. Cf. bullshit s.v. BULL noun1. M20.
T. O'Brien Don't let him shit you...That whole thing last night was a fake.
Phrases: shit a brick, shit bricks (a) be extremely scared; (b) interjection expr. surprise or amazement. shit on humiliate, cause to feel inferior, reprimand (usu. in pass.). shit or get off the pot take action or make a decision one way or another, or else give another the opportunity to do so.
• shitten adjective (now rare or obsolete) = SHITTY ME.
• shitter noun (a) a person who or thing which shits; (b) a privy, a lavatory; a lavatory pan: L16.