smithereens, n. pl. colloq. and dial.
(smɪðəˈriːnz)
[var. of next, with Irish diminutive ending, and either adopted from, or the source of, mod.Ir. smidir{iacu}n.]
Small fragments; atoms. Usually in phrases to knock, split, blow (etc.) to or into, to go to, smithereens. Also fig.
| 1829 G. Griffin Collegians II. xxii. 157 A body would tink it hardly safe to stand here under 'em, in dread dey'd come tumblin' down, may be, an' make smiddereens of him, bless de mark! 1841 S. C. Hall Ireland I. 68 The harness that was broke into smithereens. Ibid. III. 303 The sun..split it into smithereens. 1861 C. F. Bromley Woman's Wand. 189 A celestial worthy..whose prowess and exploits..seem to have beaten Saint George and the dragon quite to smithereens. 1883 Black Shandon Bells xxxiii, He'd have knocked the whole town to smithereens. 1922 Joyce Ulysses 372 Crew and cargo in smithereens. 1927 D. H. Lawrence Mornings in Mexico 16 The sun went bang, with smithereens of birds bursting in all directions. 1933 Sun (Baltimore) 22 Dec. 22/6 A substantial charge of dynamite—enough, in fact, to blast the bridge to smithereens. 1961 J. I. Packer Evangelism & Sovereignty of God ii. 31 Books like Deuteronomy and Isaiah and John's Gospel and Romans smash it [sc. a man-centred outlook] to smithereens. 1976 Time 27 Dec. 36/3 The result is another kind of supernova, a fantastic explosion that blows the star to smithereens, dispersing into space most of the remaining elements that it had manufactured during its lifetime. |