Shindig

Shindig is a word I associate with a 1960s American TV show that featured rock bands and dancers. Did it have earlier origins?

The Wikipedia entry I read today didn't have an origin story (I may have to correct that), so I had to dig into etymology dictionaries.

The word shindig originated in the United States during the mid-19th century (first recorded around the 1840s to 1850s) as a colloquial term for a lively, rowdy party or dance.  Etymologists trace its history through several earlier versions. Shindig is most likely an alteration of the slightly older American slang word shindy, which popped up around the 1820s to mean a row, a disturbance, or a merrymaking.  And shindy is believed to derive from shinny (or shinty), an informal, rough-and-tumble street game akin to hockey that was brought over by Scottish immigrants (rooted in the Scottish Gaelic shinty). 

Because a game of shinny involved swinging sticks and smacking shins, shindy originally described a chaotic fight or ruckus before shifting to mean a boisterous party.  

A traditional shindig usually featured a lot of dancing, so people assumed the word combined "shin" and "dig" — as in kicking up your shins on the dance floor. While this is likely a folk etymology rather than the true historical root, it captures the high-energy spirit that made it a fitting title for a 1960s music and dance program like Shindig!

Shindig! (the ! is part of the title) was an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles. It was conceived as a short-notice replacement for Hootenanny, a series which specialized in folk revival music. The folk revival had slipped in popularity in 1964 as a result of the British Invasion, and so Hootenanny was cancelled.

Shindig! focused on a wider variety of popular music. It first aired for a half-hour every Wednesday evening, but was expanded to an hour in January 1965. In the fall of 1965, the show split into two half-hour telecasts, on Thursday and Saturday nights.

The premiere episode featured Sam Cooke, The Everly Brothers, and The Righteous Brothers. Later shows also featured performances taped in Britain, and the first UK episode had The Beatles as the guests. The series later featured other "British Invasion" bands and performers, including The Yardbirds, The Dave Clark Five, The Who, The Rolling Stones, and Cilla Black. The Who performed a unique early version of "My Generation" live, two months before the single version was recorded. Many other popular performers of the day played on the show, including Tina Turner, Lesley Gore, Bo Diddley, Sonny and Cher, The Beach Boys, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, The Supremes, and The Ronettes.

In January 1966, Shindig! was cancelled and replaced in its Thursday time slot by Batman.