Butt why?

People often wonder why the pork shoulder is called a butt. This cut of meat has nothing to do with the pig’s rump. The name has everything to do with the storage method colonial Americans used to keep pork fresh over time. The early colonists packaged and stored the pork in casks or barrels called butts for shipping. According to the National Pork board  (http:www.ochef.com/877.htm) 

"In pre-revolutionary New England and into the Revolutionary War, some pork cuts (not those highly valued, or ‘high on the hog,’ like loin and ham) were packed into casks or barrels (also known as ‘butts’) for storage and shipment. The way the hog shoulder was cut in the Boston area became known in other regions as ‘Boston Butt’. This name stuck and today, Boston butt is called that almost everywhere in the US, except in Boston.”

Texans just plain call it pork butt . . . the essential start for a flavorful barbeque sandwich.