Learn English – Why does “smashing” mean “very good”

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Smashing is a BrE slang which means "very good" or "impressive". Most folks might know this already, due to its use as a catch phrase by various BrE characters in media.

However, from the usual meaning of the word smash (which means breaking with violence), it's not obvious how it could come to mean "very good". Did this meaning come from a specific context, perhaps military, or sports?

Best Answer

According to Etymonlime the term smashing has undergone the change in meaning like other terms such as: fabulous ( see below).

smashing (adj.):

1833, "violently crushing to pieces," present participle adjective from smash (v.). Meaning "pleasing, sensational" is from 1911.

Fabulous:

  • Sense of "incredible" first recorded c.1600. Slang shortening fab first recorded 1957; popularized in reference to The Beatles, c.1963.
  • Fabulous (often contracted to fab(s)) and fantastic are also in that long list of words which boys and girls use for a time to express high commendation and then get tired of, such as, to go no farther back than the present century, topping, spiffing, ripping, wizard, super, posh, smashing. [Gower's 1965 revision of Fowler's "Modern English Usage"]

Probably its origin meaning 'impressive' comes from Tennis:

Smash:

  • 1725, "hard blow," from smash (v.). Meaning "broken-up condition" is from 1798; that of "failure, financial collapse" is from 1839. Tennis sense is from 1882. Meaning "great success" is from 1923("Variety" headline, Oct. 16, in reference to Broadway productions of "The Fool" and "The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly").

A smash in tennis:

  • is a shot that is hit above the hitter's head with a serve-like motion. A smash can usually be hit with a high amount of force and is often a shot that ends the point.

Source:Wikipedia

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