Blast you to Smithereens!

I was in a conversation with a friend and we were speaking about Demolition Derbies 

and slamming into an open car door at 110 mph when he used the word smithereens. A word I have used or heard all my life. “I’m going to crash it into smithereens.” Is smithereens a place? A noun? A verb? Just what it was is a mystery or was.

Other than an American rock band from New Jersey that formed in 1980 and busted out "A Girl Like You" the word is a noun. 

It is an Irish word that started out as smidiríní changing into smiddereens, in about 1810 and ending up in 1829 being smithereens. It means fragments or splintered pieces, numerous tiny disconnected bits. It is always plural.

Which brings me to another phrase, “We’re golden”. What is that about?  It is an adjective - of good quality, something to be proud of, ready, well prepared, in a good position. It is American slang. It can be substituted for the term ‘peachy” which is one I use. Golden is used mostly in the Northeast.

Just for fun I took an online quiz that told me what the number 1 song was the day I was born. But I thought it would more interesting to find out what the number 1 song was the day I may have been conceived. So I entered a date exactly 9 months to the day backwards and it told me WITCH DOCTOR by David Seville 

was at the top of the charts. Not very romantic but it became interesting and here is why. David Seville was not his real name it is Rostom Sipan Bagdasarian or Ross as his friends knew him.  

His parents were immigrants from Turkey. He was born in America. He was a WWII veteran. On the track in Witch Doctor, David sang normal and then re-recorded parts with his voice in double speed. Guess what happened next?

The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) 

came out and won two Grammy Awards. 

Where did the Chipmunks come from? The voice speed of David. He was all three chipmunks and Dave. How did the Chipmunks get their names? Simon Waronker, Ted (Theodore) Keep, and Alvin Bennett all three were Executives at Record Companies.

I think it is a good thing I was not born  9 months earlier. I could have been named Theodora, Simonessa or Alvina or Chip after a Chipmunk.

I will keep my name which translates to Graceful Palm Tree.