This expression alludes to the unmissable effects of shit being thrown into an electric fan. It appears to have originated in the 1930s. I can't say better than 'appears' as the earliest citation of it that I can find is in the 1967 edition of Eric Partridge's A dictionary of slang and unconventional English: "Wait till the major hears that! Then the shit'll hit the fan!" Partridge lists the phrase as Canadian, circa 1930, but as he gives no supporting evidence we have to go by the 1967 date, although it is undoubtedly earlier. Other, more polite, forms of the phrase, involving eggs, pie, soup and 'stuff', can certainly be dated from the USA the 1940s. For example, Max Chennault's Up Sun, 1945: "Sounds like the stuff was about to hit the fan." The Fresno Bee Republican, May 1948, reported on a psychiatrists' convention, under the heading See How Brain Boys Also Run Wild: "However, once that opening point was settled, the psychiatrists entered wholly in the business of the convention, which culminated, of course, in the selection of officers for the coming year. And that, as the saying goes, was when the soup hit the fan." The other versions followed soon afterwards.

: ) This from: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/407950.html When the sh*t hits the fan Meaning Messy and exciting consequences brought about by a previously secret situation becoming public. Origin This expression alludes to the unmissable effects of sh*t being thrown into an electric fan. It appears to have originated in the 1930s. I can't say better than 'appears' as the earliest citation of it that I can find is in the 1967 edition of Eric Partridge's A dictionary of slang and unconventional English: "Wait till the major hears that! Then the sh*t'll hit the fan!" Partridge lists the phrase as Canadian, circa 1930, but as he gives no supporting evidence we have to go by the 1967 date, although it is undoubtedly earlier. Other, more polite, forms of the phrase, involving eggs, pie, soup and 'stuff', can certainly be dated from the USA the 1940s. For example, Max Chennault's Up Sun, 1945: "Sounds like the stuff was about to hit the fan." The Fresno Bee Republican, May 1948, reported on a psychiatrists' convention, under the heading See How Brain Boys Also Run Wild: "However, once that opening point was settled, the psychiatrists entered wholly in the business of the convention, which culminated, of course, in the selection of officers for the coming year. And that, as the saying goes, was when the soup hit the fan." The other versions followed soon afterwards." ***** As for the scenarios that might lead to that situation, I can't really say. Certainly mind-blowing. Or is it sh*t-blowing? ; )

I'm guessing someone threw a turd at a fan and noted what happened.

I really don't know the origin but it probably was a farmer. I used to watch the manure get spread on the farm land as it came out of the spreader machine. That includes being pushed through a series of fan-like blades that are rotating. That saying has a real mind picture to me. It goes all over and really high also if you are going fast. Oh, I was driving the tractor that was pulling the machine. It couldn't get on me.

besides having way too much time on your hands, you ask really good questions. i bet it originated as an overgeneralization / humor from fan blowing in the chicken coop to keep chickens cool and feathers blowing everywhere. some farmer told his wife, when she asked him to come in for dinner, "when the s""t hits the fan". really, its a pretty disgusting thing to envision, isn't it, no matter what started it? thanks!!!

LMAO! A man after my own heart! Always thinking. I may not be thinking about the right thing but I'm always thinking. I can't help you with this one MG but good luck anyway.

This is my guess..someone who was very creative, a poetic wordsmith, was privy to a huge scandal brewing and described the potential exposure to that information in the most graphic way possible..everyone around and involved would get slimed, dirty and smell awful! :)

I think the use of it in Airplane! was one of the funniest things I ever saw in my life:)

When mark twain, later in his career, was asked by a socity woman if there was something that he wanted to do but hadn't He replied that he had always wanted to throw eggsinto an electric fan.

None of them are pretty:)

I understood that the phrase originated from coal-mining in the north-east of England. With no underground sanitary arrangements miners had to relieve themselves in convenient corners, and jokers would heave a turd or two into the ventilation fans for fun. The full sentence I was told is Everybody gets a bit when the shit hits the fan. I have forgotten the provenance of this, so it may all be fantasy.