In re 'shindig': I went to my handy OED and looked this up. Here's what it says:

shindig - U.S.

1899 Bartlett Dict. Amer. Shin-Dig, a blow on the shins.

1892 Kentucky Words in Amer. Dial. Notes, Shindig, a dance or party.

1899 Westm. Gaz. 31 Oct. 8/3, The natives . . . in a number of instances have danced a kind of 'shindig' as soon as released from torture.

-- Áine