smidgen

Origin uncertain; possibly from smitch (“(originally Scotland, chiefly US) very small amount or quantity”) + possibly -in (a variant of -ing (suffix forming nouns denoting things considered collectively)). Smitch is possibly:

• derived from smitch (“smoke from a burning or smouldering thing; spot of dirt; blemish; dirt, grime”), a variant of smeech (“(southwest England) (dense or pungent) smoke; airborne dust”), from Middle English smeche, smek, smiche (“smoke from a burning or smouldering thing; cloud of smoke; fumes, vapour; smell”), from Old English smēc, smīc (“smoke; steam; vapour”), from Proto-West Germanic *smauki (“smoke”), related to Proto-Germanic *smeukaną (“to fume, smoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *smewgʰ- (“smoke”); or
• borrowed from Scots smitch (“smudge, stain; blemish; very small amount, speck, trace; small insignificant person”), possibly a variant of English smutch (“dirty mark, smudge, stain; dirt, grime; slight indication”) (probably related to smudge, ultimate etymology unknown) and influenced by English smit (“(UK, dialectal) a stain”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsmɪd͡ʒɪn/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsmɪd͡ʒɪn/, /-ən/

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪdʒɪn, -ɪdʒən
• Hyphenation: smidg‧en

smidgen (plural smidgens) (originally US, informal)

1. Chiefly in the form a smidgen of: a very small amount or quantity; a bit, a trace.

   Synonyms: drop, pinch, smidge, smidget, smidgy, (originally Scotland, chiefly US) smitch, touch; see also Thesaurus:modicum

   Antonyms: see Thesaurus:lot

   Move it a smidgen to the right.

   Would you like some more cake? ―I’ll have a smidgen.

   • , Robin Baragwaneth , The Wooden Horse, for the Rounder, and the Horse without a Head. , Penzance, Cornwall: J. Thomas, →OCLC, page 10:

     Unkle Will says when he tould her to mind the siggering in the Crock,—she run to the Spence for a smidgen of skalded cream.

   • 1889 February, “The Pipeses’ Party”, in Frank Leslie’s Pleasant Hours. Devoted to Light and Entertaining Literature, volume XLVI, New York, N.Y.: Mrs. Frank Leslie , , →OCLC, page 473, column 2:

     It's jest a meracle we wa'n't all blowed to smidgens, the hull b'ilin' lot of us.

   • 1898, Francis Bartow Lloyd, “The Farmer and the Broncho”, in Lily C. Lloyd, editor, Sketches of Country Life: Humor, Wisdom and Pathos from the “Sage of Rocky Creek” , Birmingham, Ala.: Press of Roberts & Son, →OCLC, page 80:

     He didn't look the least smidgen like our Mart Mayo, but if they was both on the track in a lyin match, whilst he might not beat old Mart, I am satisfied he would make the track devilish dusty for a few heats anyhow.

   • 1907 September, Will N Harben, chapter XXXVII, in Mam’ Linda , New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, page 304:

     I could listen to forty million men like this candidate expound his views and it wouldn't alter me one smidgen in the belief that Carson Dwight has acted only as a true Christian would.

   • 1921, William Patterson White, “The Showdown”, in The Heart of the Range, Garden City, N.Y.; Toronto, Ont.: Doubleday, Page & Company, →OCLC, page 187:

     Aw right, you go right in and tell 'em the truth, all of it, every last smidgen.

   • 1960, P G Wodehouse, chapter 4, in Jeeves in the Offing, Harmondsworth, Middlesex : Penguin Books, published 1963 (1975 printing), →OCLC, page 37:

     he girl's a pill like Phyllis, who always does what Daddy tells her.' / 'No will of her own?' / 'Not a smidgeon.

2. (by extension) Chiefly in the form a smidgen of a: a very small or insignificant person or thing; also, an instance of such a person or thing.

   (small): Synonyms: (sometimes offensive) dwarf, (sometimes offensive) midget, pipsqueak, (informal) shorty

   (small): Antonyms: see Thesaurus:giant

   (insignificant): Synonyms: see Thesaurus:nonentity

   (insignificant): Antonyms: see Thesaurus:important person

   • 1952 September 19, John Steinbeck, chapter 23, in East of Eden, New York, N.Y.: The Viking Press, →OCLC, book 3, section 3, page 289:

     In fifty years, did you ever have a vacation, you little, silly, half-pint, smidgin of a wife?

   • 1962 July, John Steinbeck, “Part 1”, in Travels with Charley in Search of America, London: William Heinemann, published 1962, →OCLC, page 106:

     Lucille wore one of those little smidgins of hats held on by inturned combs.

• smidgeon, smidgin

• a smidgen (adverb)

• Demings, Dengism