Where does the phrase 'smack dab' come from?

Answer 1

Oh, dude, the phrase 'smack dab' comes from the good ol' U.S. of A. It's just a fun way of saying right in the middle of something. Like, you're smack dab in the middle of a situation, you know? It's like the perfect spot, but with a little extra pizzazz.

Answer 2

The phrase "smack dab" is believed to have originated in the United States in the mid-20th century. The term "smack" is thought to come from the Middle Dutch word "smacken," meaning "to strike," while "dab" is a colloquial term for a small amount or portion. When combined, "smack dab" is used to emphasize the exactness or precision of a location or position, suggesting something is right in the middle or directly on target.

Answer 3

Well, honey, 'smack dab' is just a folksy way of saying 'right in the middle.' It's like when you plop a dollop of whipped cream right in the center of your pie - that's smack dab. As for its origin, well, it's just one of those quirky phrases that popped up in American English, probably because it's fun to say.

Answer 4

In essence, the phrase means "slapped precisely in the center." According to the Oxford English Dictionary, smack-dab showed up in print in 1892: "He hit him smack dab in the mouth" [Dialect Notes I, 232].

The first element, smack, is used as an adverb. It is defined as "with, or as with, a smack; suddenly and violently; slap." It appears in 1782 in Cowper's John Gilpin: "Smack went the whip, round went the wheels."

The second element, dab, means "with a dab or sudden contact." Robert Armin's Nest of Ninnies uses it in this sense in 1608: "He dropt downe..as heauy as if a leaden plummet... had fallen on the earth dab."

A variation is slap-dab: "He was goin' that fas' he run slap-dab agin me afo' he seed me" [1886, Turf, Field & Farm XLII. 174/3].

Slap-bang is close, but it meant immediately rather than centered: "Slap-bang shop: a petty cook's shop where there is no credit given, but what is had must be paid down with the ready slap-bang, i.e. immediately" [1785, Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue]. In essence, the phrase means "slapped precisely in the center." According to the Oxford English Dictionary, smack-dab showed up in print in 1892: "He hit him smack dab in the mouth" [Dialect Notes I, 232].

The first element, smack, is used as an adverb. It is defined as "with, or as with, a smack; suddenly and violently; slap." It appears in 1782 in Cowper's John Gilpin: "Smack went the whip, round went the wheels."

The second element, dab, means "with a dab or sudden contact." Robert Armin's Nest of Ninnies uses it in this sense in 1608: "He dropt downe..as heauy as if a leaden plummet... had fallen on the earth dab."

A variation is slap-dab: "He was goin' that fas' he run slap-dab agin me afo' he seed me" [1886, Turf, Field & Farm XLII. 174/3].

Slap-bang is close, but it meant immediately rather than centered: "Slap-bang shop: a petty cook's shop where there is no credit given, but what is had must be paid down with the ready slap-bang, i.e. immediately" [1785, Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue].