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help with "smitherines"

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cptmedia	help with "smitherines"	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1 (02/04/07 13:55:36) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None Heard the word since 1945. It is ofter used as a threat, such as "Let's blow them to smitherines." What, where, or who is "smitherines" or "smithereens, or whatever?
Dr Techie	Re: help with "smitherines"	#1	[-]
Posts: 9773 (02/04/07 14:09:45) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Welcome to Wordorigins! I think it's the "let's blow them [up]" part of the expression that conveys the threat, not the "smithereens" (the more common spelling) per se. It comes "from Irish Gaelic smidirin, diminutive of smiodar, small fragment" according to the AHD. In previous discussions there's been some question raised as to whether the Irish word might have an English origin; you can read more here. Anyway, it's really just a way of saying "tiny pieces". I suppose it's slightly more threatening to say you're going to blow someone into tiny pieces than into big pieces, but either way is pretty unfriendly.
ElizaD	Re: help with "smitherines"	#2	[-]
Posts: 5686 (02/05/07 07:47:07) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	And here and here.
Eclecticist	Re: help with "smitherines"	#3	[-]
Posts: 3 (02/17/07 18:42:09) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	While it is true that a person blown to big pieces would be just as deceased as a person blown to small pieces, pride of craftsmanship is the issue. Never be satisfied with shoddy work!
Eyehawk	Re: help with "smitherines"	#4	[-]
Posts: 2309 (02/18/07 00:19:39) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I haven't been here for some time. I see the humor is still flowing. Glad to see the good Dr. and Eliza are still alive and kicking it.

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