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spick-and-span

Clean, spotless; original sense "like new".

Etymology:

  • From spick-and-span-new, from spick + Middle English span-new, from Old Norse span-nyr, from spann + nyr. Imitation of Dutch spiksplinter nieuw , for a freshly built ship. Observe that fresh woodchips are firm and light, but decay and darken rapidly, hence the origin of the term.
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“

I mopped up the kitchen floor so it was spick-and-span.

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Submitted on July 07, 2010

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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to spick-and-span

squad and blatherspeak of the devil and he shall appearspread your wings and soar beyond the s…stand up and be countedsticks and stones will break my bones, …so-and-sostop an eight-day clock and throw it in…stand up and be countedsticks and stones may break my bones, b…speak softly and carry a big stickstraight and narrowspick and spanspic and spanspeak of the devil and he appears

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