Basically, this is when emotions break loose and people get hurt. A literal meaning would be that shit gets on everybody due to the intrinsic nature of the fan.

"I found out my brother was sleeping with my wife, and that's when shit hit the fan."

Shit hit the fan by Define Please June 14, 2016

shit hit the fan

Expression - A derivative of the original: "The excrement made physical contact with a hydro-electric powered oscillating air current distribution device". Used primarily to describe a set of circumstances where events became inflamed to a point that control was lost.

Her insults rolled of me like water but the shit hit the fan after she claimed to possess information leading to proof that my Mother wore Army boots.

shit hit the fan by regedt32 April 6, 2004

SHIT HIT THE FAN

An idiomatic expression used to convey that something disastrous has occured.

The moment I saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center, I knew that shit had hit the fan.

SHIT HIT THE FAN by Brian T November 25, 2003

SHIT HIT THE FAN

A term used when a situation goes from bad to worse. (When there is shit that stinks...thas bad. When shit hits a running fan, flings it all over the place, and spreads the wafting stank...thas WORSE!).

We were fuckin last night, right? An I yell out, 'KIM!!!' Her name was Krysta...and after that, THE SHIT HIT THE FAN.

SHIT HIT THE FAN by Joshiro007 February 12, 2003

shit hit the fan

The situation where a recent catastrophe is further complicated by some application of Murphy's Law or further revelations. Taken from the mental image of the "fragrant and pictorial" mess that excrement would make if it came into contact with the blades of a fan...

It was bad enough when they caught him rolling in the hay with a girl, but the shit really hit the fan when it was reported that she was underage.

shit hit the fan by The Eternal Grunt January 30, 2004

Shit hit the fan

The toilet in the 1970's space station "Skylab" had a suction fan and a safety belt to strap yourself down with in zero gravity.

Zero gravity would cause the faeces to float all over the place disasterously so there was airflow to suck the faeces into a bag, a bit like a vacuum cleaner does. Now, if the bag broke somehow, then the "Shit hit the fan!!".

Awww no! the shit hit the fan!!!.

Shit hit the fan by Marcus Rosenblat December 13, 2008