the shit hit the fan

When discovery of an inopportune incident, usually pertinent to personal misconduct, indiscretion, dereliction or impropriety is made, that provokes outrage toward and/or has seriously negative consequences for the perpetrator(s).

The shit hit the fan when her husband found out about her exorbitant expenditures.

the shit hit the fan by desenfado January 21, 2014

let the shit hit the fan

Sometimes it's advantageous to ignore the problem, let it explode, and have other people deal with it. This policy is called "let the shit hit the fan".

A: Look, these numbers they gave us are really wrong.
B: I say, let the shit hit the fan and then they'll fix it.

let the shit hit the fan by UrbanCulture July 11, 2006

the shit has hit the fan 

A way of announcing to people that something really dramatic has happened. Usually involves chaos and often violence.

"Hey have you seen what's going on out there?"
"No what is it?"
"Jack got caught cheating on his girlfriend and the shit has hit the fan"

the shit has hit the fan by Gump92 October 29, 2013

The Shit just hit the fan 

A problem just got worse, or a problematic information just went public.
When somthing that was supposed to stey a secret became known to the worse people, or a problem you dreaded just manifested

A: John sent the email to his boss by mistake...
B: The Shit just hit the fan

A: The software update included the virus, it was sent to all the clients by now
B: The shit just hit the fan

The Shit just hit the fan by DarkLight310 March 16, 2010

the shit has hit the fan 

1) Wild chaos and drama just started going down.

2) A famous lyric from Warren Zevon's 1978 hit "Lawyers, Guns, And Money", singing it in reference to him getting found while on the run right after he realized he tried to bed a woman he didn't know was a Russian spy until it was too late:

And I'm hiding in Honduras/I'm a desperate man/Send lawyers, guns, and money/The shit has hit the fan

the shit has hit the fan by darkpowrjd January 31, 2023

Shit hit the fan

An expression that which a horrible disaster or something big has happened, or just going out of control

When I heard that loud thud of the boat exploding, I knew shit hit the fan.

Shit hit the fan by The Jester of Madness! November 10, 2015

Shit hit the fan

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