blown to smithereens - what's a smithereen? - Wordorigins Archive 10 (6-10/03) - All - Wordorigins Discussion Forum - Message Board - Yuku

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blown to smithereens - what's a smithereen?

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Unregistered(d)	blown to smithereens - what's a smithereen?	Lead	[-]
Posts: 0 (07/09/03 17:41:12) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None Gaelic - but what is a smithereen?
Skibberoo	re: smithereens	#1	[-]
Posts: 1648 (07/09/03 20:57:07) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Small pieces, bits; 1829 smiddereens, borrowed from Irish smidirin, diminutive of smiodar fragment. The spelling smithereens first recorded in 1841 (courtesy of Chambers Dict. of Etym.))
MoMac	Re: re: smithereens	#2	[-]
Posts: 962 (07/10/03 01:06:56) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Can you ever have a smithereen, singular? If something had been blown to smithereens and you found one tiny portion of it, could you say "Here is a smithereen I found, following the explosion"? I ask because smidirn is singular while smidirni would be the plural. Smidirni (smidjereeeenie) has a lovely sound, I think. But maybe it sounded a bit too giddy to be acceptable in 1841 as a description of the remnant of an accident or explsoion!
Steve G	Re: re: smithereens	#3	[-]
Posts: 755 (07/10/03 03:27:23) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	there is a smidgin (small amount) in fairly common use. Spelling may vary. Maybe this is the singular version?
Unregistered(d)	A smidgen of smithereens	#4	[-]
Posts: 0 (07/10/03 07:35:22) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks everyone. Now I can get on with my life.
ozziemaland	Re: A smidgen of smithereens	#5	[-]
Posts: 5545 (07/11/03 13:34:13) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Since your life is now so comfortable perhaps you'll enjoy the usage of "fine smithereens" in my "Black Widow" poem (1991): I once met a woman of wealth Who claimed to eat mildew for health When no one believed what she told She cooked up a potful of mold And ate fungus among us by stealth This same little lady of means Used mildew to season some beans When offered this potent legume Her husband was blown from the room And torn up into fine smithereens (Witnesses at the scene compared him to Napoleon blown apart)

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