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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

straight and narrowso-and-sospare the rod and spoil the childspick and spansticks and stonesspit-shined and polishedSpick and Spanstand up and be countedspic and spanSpare the Rod and Spoil the Childsong and dancesow the wind and reap the whirlwindspit-and-polishstraighten up and fly right

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    "spick-and-span." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/spick-and-span_15036>.

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