2990: Smashing Folk Etymology Feb 27, 2025

Although it may be perceived as British slang now, at least relatively speaking nowadays, ‘smashing’ to mean ‘great’ originated in the United States…or did it. A  handful of similar terms like ‘hit’ also have emerged, but a popular folk etymology connects the English ‘smashing’ to the Irish “is maith sin” (“that is good”). No dictionary holds this to be true, especially given the origin as ‘a smash’ along with ‘smashing’.

Indeed, like ‘a smash’ and ‘a hit’ there are numerous cases of synonyms with apparent convergent etymology in slang, such as:

•Shredded, ripped, (i.e. muscular) but not, say ‘torn’

•Chill, cool but not cold

•Sick, illin’ but not diseased / unwell

Write back with any more convergently evolved slang you can find.