Meaning
Human waste collected from pit latrines and outhouses — historically carried away at night, hence the name. In the days before piped sewerage, the 'night soil man' emptied the pits and hauled the waste away in the dark, and the term survives in older people's talk and in stories of hard, humble labour from a rougher time. It stands for the lowest, dirtiest work there was.
Examples
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Long time, di night soil man empty di pit.
Long ago, the night soil man emptied the pit latrine.
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Dat a night soil work, nobody want it.
That's the lowest kind of work; nobody wants it.
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Before pipe water, everything did go a pit.
Before piped water, everything went to the pit latrine.
Origin
From English 'night soil' (waste removed at night); preserved in older Jamaican usage. See [[pit-toilet]], [[country]].
How it’s used
Human waste from pit latrines; historical, older usage. See [[pit-toilet]], [[country]].