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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

sticks and stonesso on and so forthsong and dancespit-and-polishstop and smell the rosesstick that in your pipe and smoke itspeak of the devil and he shall appearstraighten up and fly rightspeak softly and carry a big stickspeak of the devil and he appearsstand up and be countedsquad and blatherspread your wings and soar beyond the s…song and dance

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    "spick-and-span." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 19 Jan. 2025. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/spick-and-span_15036>.

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