night soil

night soil
   human faeces
   Soil has meant excrement since the 16th century, and primitive lavatories were cleaned at night, sometimes by a nightman in an operation called, in London at least, a wedding:
    ...thrust our ragged clothes, with a stick deep into the night soil of the necessary house. (Graves, 1940, writing in archaic style)
   Now mainly jocular figurative use, in the nightsoil being a synonym for in the shit. Night water, urine, is obsolete:
    You try to tell us that the might of this great army rests upon goddam night water? (Keneally, 1979 — Confederate soldiers were forbidden to make any noise at night)

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

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  • Night soil — Night Night (n[imac]t), n. [OE. night, niht, AS. neaht, niht; akin to D. nacht, OS. & OHG. naht, G. nacht, Icel. n[=o]tt, Sw. natt, Dan. nat, Goth. nahts, Lith. naktis, Russ. noche, W. nos, Ir. nochd, L. nox, noctis, Gr. ny x, nykto s, Skr. nakta …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • night-soil — nightˈ soil noun The contents of outside lavatories, cesspools, etc generally carried away at night and sometimes used for fertilizer • • • Main Entry: ↑night …   Useful english dictionary

  • night soil — n. [from being collected at night] excrement removed from a cesspool or privy and used as fertilizer …   English World dictionary

  • night soil — night′ soil n. human excrement used as fertilizer • Etymology: 1765–75 …   From formal English to slang

  • Night soil — 18th century London nightman s calling card Night soil is a euphemism for human excrement collected at night from cesspools, privies, etc. and sometimes used as a fertilizer.[1] Night soil is produced as a result of a waste management system in… …   Wikipedia

  • night soil — noun human excreta used as fertilizer • Hypernyms: ↑manure * * * noun : human excrement collected for fertilizing the soil * * * human excrement collected and used as fertilizer. [1765 75] * * * night soil, contents of a privy or cesspool; human… …   Useful english dictionary

  • night soil — noun Human faeces. There, the night soil along with the community refuse is filled in trenches for composting and subsequent use in agriculture …   Wiktionary

  • night-soil — fekalijos statusas T sritis ekologija ir aplinkotyra apibrėžtis Žmogaus, gyvūnų kietųjų ir skystųjų išmatų mišinys su durpėmis ar kitomis medžiagomis atitikmenys: angl. dung; excrement; faeces; night soil vok. Fäkalien; Kotstoff, m rus.… …   Ekologijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • night soil — srutos statusas T sritis ekologija ir aplinkotyra apibrėžtis Organinė trąša, susidaranti daugiausia iš gyvulių šlapimo ir mėšlo irimo produktų. Turi 0,25–0,5 % azoto, 0,1–0,12 % fosforo, 0,4–0,6 % kalio. atitikmenys: angl. foulwater; night soil… …   Ekologijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • night soil — noun Date: circa 1774 human feces used especially for fertilizing the soil …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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