At a glance, shindig appears to combine shin and dig, and thus might seem to suggest a painful kick to the leg—especially when you know that one of the first senses of shindig in English refers to a gathering at which people dance. It is more likely, however, that shindig is an alteration of shindy, which is itself the alteration of another word, shinny, used of a variation of hockey that is played with a curved stick and a ball or block of wood. It's not entirely clear how the game of shinny gave shindy its first meaning (the "social gathering with dancing" meaning that is also the original meaning of shindig) but shinny remains the most likely origin.
we're hosting a little shindig this weekend for some friends
Recent Examples on the WebSet up some Squid Game-like activities in your backyard for this shindig. Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 8 July 2022 Plus, who could be more appropriate for a royal shindig than a musician whose documentary is titled Tantrums and Tiaras?Vogue, 4 June 2022 Milwaukee Zine Fest returns after two years of virtual-ness as an in-person shindig at the Milwaukee Public Library's Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. Chris Foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2022 Even without the receipts from the shindig, Garrison reported raising $31,360 with $12,418 on hand, compared to incumbent Buckingham’s $26,442 raised with $11,557 on hand. John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Apr. 2022 The Parmesan-pecan crackers, feta and onion jam tart bites, and ramen Chex mix are all invited to my beach shindig. Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 16 Apr. 2022 But neither Roy’s stern words nor his itemized litany of how much the shindig is costing him manage to budge her. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2022 Talent manager Guy Oseary is hosting his late-night shindig while Oscar show opening performer and nominee Beyoncé and Jay-Z will hold court at their Gold Party, a VIP all-nighter taking place at Bar Marmont. Marc Malkin, Variety, 23 Mar. 2022 Melanie barely had time to warm up before informing the passengers in the course of a celebratory shindig that the New Eden to which Daveed Diggs' Andre Layton was taking the titular train might not actually exist. Clark Collis, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2022 See More