Smithereens
An unnamed caller to
Words to the Wise asked about the word smithereens, as in, “the children smashed
the piñata into smithereens.” Invariably, it seems to go with verbs of
violence, such as blow, punch, shatter, knock, split, and pound.
Smithereens is a variant
of smithers, which was defined in Halliwell’s 1847 Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words as “fragments &
atoms”. The –een suffix represents
the Gaelic diminutive –ín.
It shows up in other Irish words, such as
colleen (young woman), kippeen (small
stick), boreen (small lane), birdeen (young bird or girl), buckeen (a younger
son of the poorer aristocracy), caubeen (small hat), and spalpeen (young workman or scamp).
Available from McFarland & Co.: Word Parts Dictionary, 2nd edition
Nook edition
Nook edition
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