[Ads-l] when the shit hit the fan

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Excellent citation, JL. Following your lead, here is a euphemistic
instance with a precise date in 1945.

Date: April 26, 1945
Newspaper: Goldendale Sentinel
Newspaper Location: Goldendale, Washington
Article: Letters From Service Men
Letter Title: Cold On Pacific Island
Letter From: Fred (Anderson)
Quote age 9, Column 4 and 5
Database: Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/image/944973186/

[Begin excerpt]
Dear Dad,
 Sorry about the long delay in
communiques, but we're at it again!
Yeah, that well known stuff has hit
the fan and I guess you know - your
son is taking good care of his rear
extremeties!
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Fri, Jun 20, 2025 at 9:13 AM Jonathan Lighter
<00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> HDAS archives have many exx. referring to WW2, but this euphemistic form
> from Internet Archive is the earliest of any:
>
> 1945-46_C'est la Guerre!: 612th Graves Registration Company_ (N.p., n.d.)
> 46:  When things settled, each looked at the other as if to say, "Where
> were you when the stuff hit the fan?"
>
> JL
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org