The Big Chill Outgrowing their trendy phase, smoothies are here to stay.

When you look up the word "smoothie" in thedictionary, you won't find the definition you might expect:(smooth'e)n.a healthy, refreshingfruit-blended beverage that can be mixed with sherbet or nonfatfrozen yogurt. As a matter of fact, you'll find somethingcompletely different: (smooth'e)n.asmooth-tongued person, one who behaves or performs with deftness,assurance and easy competence, especially: a man with aningratiating manner toward women.

Oookay . . . so how on earth did ourmodern-day definition surface from this antiquated dictionaryentry? Well, none of our experts can put their finger on it, butthe low-fat blended beverage we know and love today had tooriginate somewhere. One guess is that it sprang from the sweet andfrothy variation known as the Orange Julius, invented way back inthe early 1930s. And although this famous precursor hasn'ttaken on the "smoothie" moniker--nor hasWebster's made an effort to alter its outdateddefinition--the now-world-renowned beverage concept has gone fromfad to favorite, garnering $1 billion in 1999 sales nationwide.

Blending In